Newsletter: Counter: Gifts, gadgets and house specials
If you're reading this, you've survived Thanksgiving. Congratulations, presumably, on the successful accomplishment of another year of holiday feasting. Maybe you still have some leftovers, in which case: cassoulet. And now welcome to the the rest of the holiday season, which means one thing for many people — shopping.
There are many, many things you can get for the food-minded in your life, and our annual gift guide is meant to help you out with that. This year, we've got fishing trips and Thai food tours, all manner of cookwear and kitchen gadgets, and plenty of desserts.
Or you could just take your loved ones out for Chinese food. This week Jonathan Gold reviews Seafood Palace in the San Gabriel Valley, a restaurant where you may find locals, visiting Hong Kong chefs — or, in the coming weeks, those of us who love crispy crab a whole lot more than we love shopping.
And be on the lookout for Wednesday's In the Kitchen newsletter, with cooking tips and news, including new recipes from the L.A. Times Test Kitchen.
Get the crab house special
That's the gist of Jonathan's review of Seafood Palace, a Chiu Chow seafood specialist down in Monterey Park that had a different name until recently — but still, happily for us all, has the excellent plates of fried garlic-strewn crab. It was that dish, as well as a few notable other ones (frog!), that drew some visiting Hong Kong chefs recently, and who returned to the place again and again. We can see why.
Gift ideas for the food-minded
What happens after you recover from your turkey and football reverie? You go shopping, apparently. Thus we have all sorts of gift suggestions for people who love to cook and eat — an Italian stovetop toaster, locally made soaps for cooks, a gorgeous fermentation jar, coffee presses and pour-overs, oyster knives and gifts for kids and even your dog.
(Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
Nagoya-style ramen
Jonathan visits the new ramen-ya Anzutei, a little shop that's recently gone into a pleasantly grungy space in downtown L.A. There he finds creditable bowls of tantanmen ramen, in the style of Nagoya: "It’s the only tantanmen I’ve ever tasted that approaches the Sichuan original in intensity of flavor." So much for getting a table.
(Amy Scattergood / Los Angeles Times)
Kimchi grilled cheese
That might be all you need to know, right? Because kimchi makes most everything better, the new Seoul Sausage in Little Tokyo has decided to make its grilled cheese sandwiches with the stuff. Jenn Harris reports on a food mash-up that's actually a very good idea.
(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)
Because you always need good bread
Whether it's the holidays or not, a great loaf of bread can be a necessary part of life. I check out four bakeries or restaurants with bakeries around town where you can get great sourdough boules, loaves of country white — and, in some cases, loaves of Swedish rye or baguettes. Because there's always another party to prepare for — or just your next cheese and charcuterie plate.
A loaf of sourdough bread at Republique.
(Amy Scattergood / Los Angeles Times)
Goodbye, Dominick's
On Dec. 20, Dominick's, the Beverly Boulevard restaurant known for classic red sauce Italian food, is closing — after 67 years. Open since 1948, Frank Sinatra was once a regular, and the place has attracted movie stars and such for decades. A new restaurant will move into the location. Meanwhile, it's not too late to get a table before it closes for good.
(Beatrice de Gea / Los Angeles Times)
Jonathan Gold's 101
The 101 is here! Jonathan Gold’s 101 Best Restaurants, the authoritative annual guide to local dining, is online for subscribers. Find the list at latimes.com/jonathangold. Official hashtag #JGOLD101.
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