The Little Door - and apologies for being MIA!

So, so sorry, dear readers/eaters, for being MIA. The ebb and flow of work-life hit a bit of a riptide for me (and I know Emilia has had a similar spell)...but now I'm back and I hope to continue to add delicious tidbits to this long-neglected little journal in the near future.

The past month has not been a big eating out month for me, but I did have a wonderful dinner at The Little Door at 3rd and Crescent Heights in Hollywood recently.

The place is gorgeous-- a truly romantic spot. It's got a French-Mediterranean vibe with lots of soft lighting, chandeliers, and a massive outdoor dining spot draped in the canopy of a tree. When you walk in, true to its name, you go through a charming little door. When I went on a weeknight, the place was packed. The tables are big and rustic, but the food is very gourmet and elegant.

I started with the marvelous roquefort-stuffed grilled figs wrapped in prosciutto, which came with a perfect mesclun green salad and port wine reduction drizzled around the plate. Truly rich and delicious. I then had another appetizer (since they looked sooo good I couldn't resist having two for my meal, a thing I do often). This one was a fabulous, fabulous seared duck foie gras with poached peaches, on top of a light and fluffy, slightly sweet pistachio pancake. I tasted other dishes such as seared scallops, pork with North African spices (which I found kind of ironic), and a beet salad. All were yummy and my companions seemed to enjoy them.

The wine list was exhaustive and we drank a nice Pinot Noir and finished with some bubbly. I also had a super-rich but seriously great flourless chocolate cake, which was tough to pick over the cheese plate but so good. I ate a bit and was in heaven. I took the rest home and proceeded to eat a couple of bites every night after work for a few days, and was in heaven. Really, really good. They don't mess around.

All in all, a wonderful place that I hope to return to soon. Word of warning, it is sort of silly expensive. But even so, I was not disappointed!

For reviews of The Little Door, click here.

Food:(3.75)

Ambience: (4)

Overall:(4)

For an explanation of our ratings system, CLICK HERE!

Patch's Mom Takes SF By Storm!

The apple does not fall far from the tree, and I was reminded of this when my mom went to San Francisco this past long weekend for dad's business conference. She didn't have to attend the seminars and such, so she and some of the other ladies in attendance decided to go Emilia-and-Patch style and eat their way through the city.

Mom had rave reviews about the places she ate and sent Emilia the following excited email after she returned to the East Coast (slightly edited for privacy) which I share because my mom has impeccable taste in food and as I have learned growing up, her reviews and recommendations are as flawless as her criticisms at sub-par food or service are merciless:

From: Patch's Mom
To: Emilia
CC: Patch
Subject: Restaurants

Hello Emilia,
That ferry building is amazing. I was telling Patch about breakfast at the communal table at Boulettes Larder and how I walked around the market on Saturday and bought the most amazing "almond square" at the Heidelberg Bakery stand. Petite Lulu also has very good goat cheese and spinach croissants that they will heat up for you. I shared one with my friend. I went to Sausalito and ate at Sushi Ran which is next door to the movie theater in town, away from the tourist crowd. That was a great find.
In San Francisco, I ate at Colibri, a mexican restaurant on Geary I think and the food was very good and interesting, not mentioning their amazing range of top shelf margaritas. I also had a great lunch at Cafe de la Presse right near the doors to China Town. I had a tarte flambee which was a lavash bread with smoked salmon and horseradish cream on top. Yummie and just the right size. The Chimay beer on tap reminded me of Belgium.
We also had dinner at Bacar and it was good but too hyped up. I think that I would have liked to try Jack Falstaff instead. We had a very nice dinner at Fringale where the head waiter/manager, Andre is a French Canadian guy. The food was delicious.
-Patch's Mom

This weekend I am headed up to SF where Emilia and I have exciting things planned, including a glorious ocean-view hike, the legendary Middle East Feast at G.M.'s house, and a trip to Bourbon & Branch, an old fashioned speakeasy where you need a password to get in. And of course, a BBQ which we are throwing for many friends at Em's house, and will undoubtedly include Emilia's fabulous BBQ fixings. I can't wait!

:-P

Lack of Posts from your Hosts

Hello all. Em and I have been quite busy in the last couple of days, so we have not had a chance to post. For this we apologize. Rest assured that we are still eating (not wasting away yet!) and delighting in things that will soon make their way onto these virtual pages. Emilia has many excellent forthcoming reviews on delectable restaurants in the Bay Area, and I am planning a super not secret dinner party extraordinaire with my Bittman-chosen dishes. (First step is finding out which of my friends like squid. So far, so good!)

Thinking of you,
Patch

Tips!

Indeed! And I must say, this little webspace was meant to be a wonderland of all things gourmet/foodie/etc. in Emilia and Patch world, a world which is abundant with aforementioned things gourmet/foodie/etc. Never was it meant to solely be a vastly superior version of Zagat! ;-) I know, I know that's what it seems like, but you have to trust me on this. Especially the vastly superior part. Just kidding. Zagat provides a fine service that I have utilized in the past.

On that token, I have a great tip, too, which my mother taught me. If you need to chop fresh spices up quickly, put them in a little cup or glass and use scissors to quickly mince them up. Then use your hand to scoop them out. Quick and easy. I do it on fresh basil leaves all the time. As always, your hands have to be clean.

:-P

sacramento ahoy!

Emilia here! I'm in sactown for the weekend, visiting my best friend and her hubby. We are going to a great restaurant, banderas, which I will review when I get back. Patch is out of town this week, but she saved some posts and I have lots of good reviews ready to go. Have a great weekend everyone!

emilia

Upcoming Venue: Lola's

This Friday two of my girlfriends, the indomnitable and adorable Michelle and Kris, are taking me out to Lola's, one of their favorite bar/restaurants in West Hollywood. The place is famous for its martini list, which consists of over 50 creatively named concoctions. As a martini aficionado, I am slightly suspicious of anything that calls itself "martini" and isn't 99% cold-shaken gin with a bottle of dry vermouth waved in its direction for 3 seconds or less and a couple of olives hanging out poolside. But in an attempt to not be the snob we all know I want to be, I'm ready to explore these cocktails for what they are-- not martini martinis, but funky cocktails in a martini glass. Can I accept that? You bet I can.

Lola's is also known for its comfort food including mac and cheese and fried hush puppy things. I'm all for that! So, I am looking forward to diving into Lola's offerings, and as always, you all will be the first to hear about it.

:-P

Stay Tuned...Fabulous Food Weekend Ahead!

This evening I am flying up to SF to hang with Emilia. In addition to some lovely spa time at our favorite spa in Japan town and a hearty hike in the Muir Woods with friends, we have two very exciting foodie items planned. The first is dinner at Sebo, which supposedly has a rocking omakase. Cross your fingers for us that we make it to the sushi bar! They have no website that I know of but you can get some info here:
Yelp Reviews
Bill Addison SF Chron Review

Second is dinner at one of Em's friends' houses. He's a really amazing guy with tons of friends and a passion for gourmet food. Once a month he hosts dinners and those lucky enough to get invited are welcomed into his beautiful Berkeley home and enticed with a multi-course themed menu and incredible wine. (One of the more memorable dinners I attended was AIOLI themed. There was an entire course of tasty things to dunk in the creamiest, most ridiculous homemade aioli ever. Wow.)

Everybody crowds into his living room, which he packs with big tables. I went a couple of times in law school. For anyone who has ever aspired to throw a dinner party, this lovely man and his fabulous feasts are inspiration! He also predicates each dinner with an incredible email that describes, in excruciating detail, each of the courses including notes on the various super-fresh ingredients he is incorporating based on what he finds at the market, as well as different cooking methods. The emails are as vivid as they are drool-inducing.

So, stay tuned!

:-P

Fiber Finds

Em and I have both resolved in the past months to include more fiber in our diets, aiming for 25-30 grams per day-- which my doctor father has been advising me to do for years. Fiber is fantastic. It helps your digestion, keeps you free and clear of old debris and toxins (if you know what I mean), and fills you up so you don't get hungry quickly after eating. Fiberful foods like grains, cereals, fruits and veggies also have lots of other great qualities, like lots of vitamins and nutrients, plus delicious flavor, satisfying textures and color. Since I started conciously eating more fiber, my stomach has felt flatter, my digestion has felt better, and I have just been happier overall. Yay, fiber!

In our quest to find high fiber yet tasty foods, Em and I have found a few great gems.

Gem #1: Gnu foods bars. They are delicious (my favorite is banana walnut) and have an amazing amount of fiber- 12g per 140 calorie bar. You can find them online at www.gnufoods.com. They are moist, chewy, surprisingly filling, and perfect for breakfast or a snack. I keep a bunch in my office.

Gem #2: Whole grain crisps. There are many varieties. I have tried and liked Akmak, Wasa, and Rykrisp. All are great with soft cheese, peanut butter, jam, dipped in hummus, or with cream cheese and smoked salmon as Em loves to have them for breakfast. Most have 3g of fiber and about 60 calories for two crackers.

I recently found the holy grail of crisps though, at Whole Foods: Kavli, Golden Rye variety. I was so excited when I found these babies in the Union Square Whole Foods in New York, I bought a box and brought them back with me to LA on the plane! 7g of fiber and 60 calories for two crackers. There are other flavors, but only Golden Rye packs this much punch fiber-wise. It's also very tasty. The crackers are light and don't have an overpowering rye taste, but rather just a hint of rye tartness to them. Crispy and cardboard like in a good way, and quite dusty, with a solid crunch. They are quite dry, which makes them great for really soft and moist toppings. I had them with a superb Hudson Valley camembert I bought at Whole Foods, and also with garlicy Rondele spread left over from a party I threw a couple of weeks ago.

Gem #3: Berries. Berries are one of the best low-calorie and high-flavor (and high pleasure) sources of fiber out there. For example, 16 medium sized strawberries have 6g of fiber. And only 100 calories. That's a lot of strawberries! Blueberries and blackberries are also excellent sources.

It is best to get your fiber in natural form (i.e., not through supplements) and with so many tasty options out there, searching for fiber can be a great way to experience yummy and interesting new foods to add to your diet. Remember to drink lots of water to help the fiber work its magic. Trust me, your body will thank you!

Sorry for the reposts!

For those of you using bloglines, I apologize for the constant reposts today. We are still working out the kinks of the blog, and have been editing labels etc, which may cause the blog to show up as "new" numerous times even if there are no new posts. Hopefully things will be running smoother asap ;)

cheers!

Em

Please welcome Patch!

Please welcome Patch to Lawyer.eats. She is also a lawyer and one of my premier foodie friends. She will be reporting on Los Angeles restaurants, some in NYC, and also here in SF, because we do a lot of eating when she comes to visit.

Stay tuned for the following highlights over the next two weeks:

• Sebo in San Francisco
• District in San Francisco
• a blog about the private wine dinner I go to
• a report on the food at MLB all-star week

Cheers!

Em

Our Rating System:

Our rating system consists of a highly subjective "diamonds" scale (birthstone for both of us, and just puts us in a good mood). For each of our reviews, you get two ratings-- one for food alone (we both agree that is just the bottom line, no amount of ambience will make bad food good!) and one for overall experience which includes the service and atmosphere. We use fractions of rocks as we see fit. Sometimes we disagree on the number for a place we've eaten at together. When that happens, we discuss until we can reach a compromise.

When we rate bars, we might rate a little differently. We do a rating just for drinks, while normal restaurant scores include drinks in the "Experience" category.

We make no guarantees and do not claim to be experts as far as our opinions being spot-on and irrefutable. However, we think we have good taste, so we would listen to us!

A couple of clarifying notes:

Fool's gold.......we are not happy. We understand that pyrite is not diamond-related. It's just that so many of the places we would give 1 diamond to are raved about by some people, which makes it particularly aggravating. We pity those fools!

Lackluster (2 diamonds): average, nothing special.

Semi-precious (3 diamonds): we were quite happy/happy about some things though not others, and would probably recommend to others.

A true gem (4 diamonds): wonderful. We were very happy and would definitely recommend to others.

Brilliant (5 diamonds): we'll be telling our grandchildren about this meal. Bliss.

Please let us know if you have any comments or questions on our rating system - we can be reached at lawyereats@gmail.com!

About Us!

Patch and Emilia were both law students when we met and became friends over their love of great edibles and potables. Living together one summer and discovering our shared adoration for all (good) things edible, we started taking bi and sometimes tri-weekly trips to different restaurants around the Bay Area of California, tasting cuisine and sampling libations. Four years later we have dined together in San Francisco, Las Vegas, Cabo San Lucas, Playa del Carmen, Los Angeles, and more. We always order the wine pairings.

In addition, our separate travel experiences have led us to many places around the world, where we make wining and dining a top priority. Emilia came up with the idea of a food blog where the two of us could review restaurants and various eating/drinking experiences and share them with you, in the hopes of promoting quality food experiences everywhere and sharing our passion for living in the moment through excellent food and drink. Posting ensued, until the demands of our lawyerly lives took over back in fall 2008. We took a hiatus for a while, but now we're back. Reviews and ridigity are out. Write ups of meals we enjoyed and a more relaxed approach are in!

Emilia comes from a family that knows how to cook...and how to eat. Her mother's family being from Mexico, she has a particular fondness for all things with a side of frijoles, and learned how to make salsa and guacamole for her friends at a very young age. Emilia's father's side hails from Hungary and Spain, which leaves her with a varied and delicious culinary heritage. Every event in her family calls for an elaborate spread, and these days she does a lot of the cooking. She has travelled throughout Mexico, Italy, and Spain, and ate her way through all three countries. She collects cookbooks (her favorite is the Zuni Cookbook from her all-time favorite restaurant in San Francisco), cooking gadgets (her silvery-green industrial-sized kitchenaide is displayed proudly on the kitchen counter for all to see), and napa wines. Emilia practices law in San Francisco, and was raised in the central valley of California. She is the world's biggest SF Giants fan, and had sampled every single food offered in the ballpark, except those made of fake meat, which she refuses to consume. She has a cat named Lucy, who is the envy of all other cats in the neighborhood, as she gets to eat her mother's leftovers.

Patch has been a foodie since she could eat food. She is a litigator at a firm in L.A., though she is from the East Coast.

Welcome to our blog! Any questions, feel free to email us at lawyereats@gmail.com!

Welcome to Lawyer.Eats

Hi friends, family, and anyone who is visiting my new blog. Since I spend about 80 percent of my time eating food, thinking about food, or cooking food, I thought I might as well tack on writing about food while I'm at it. I have no ambitious plans for this blog to rival some of the really truly amazing SF foodie blogs (which I will link to and highlight on occasion). I want this to be a place with a variety of food-related things. I hope to include reviews of meals that I have in SF and elsewhere, reviews of recipes I try from various sources, tips and tricks I come across, products I especially like, and whatever else catches my fancy. Though I will focus on a lot of stuff that is local to SF, there will also be plenty of posts that are more general to people all over the country. And, for those of you who don't live in SF, you can start compiling a list of places to eat when you get here.

So with that - I am off to do some eating. As usual.

Welcome and CHEERS!

Emily