MB Post

One of the things I've tried to show in three and a half years of blogging is that simple food can be the best food. Yes, sometimes I go out to fancier restaurants or cook intricate recipes, but by and large the food I try to showcase here is simple and yet outstanding. My friend Christina has been singing the praises of a newish, simple, but outstanding restaurant for months, but honestly the thought of going to Manhattan Beach was very off-putting. Long time readers will know, I rarely travel out of my comfort zone to eat, but now I have an excellent reason to break my ridiculous, self-imposed rule.



Last Tuesday, I carpooled with Ben to discover the South Bay treasure that is MB Post. Housed inside an old post office. Chef David LeFevre, formerly of Water Grill is churning out stunning food at affordable prices, in a casual setting.




We pulled up to the restaurant a few minutes late for our 8:15 reservation. The place was bustling and our table wasn't quite ready yet so we decided to try a couple of cocktails at the bar. Ben and I each had the Mo-Pho-Jito ($12). It's a fragrant take on a mojito with kaffir lime, mint, ginger, and coriander honey. Not to sweet and it comes in a cool glass.



We decided that instead of picking dishes, we would have the chef send us whatever he felt like. The only thing we specially requested was the soft shell crab. Well the chef felt like sending us a lot and for that I am eternally grateful (my waist may beg to differ). To start, we were presented with a trio of bread. We agreed the bacon cheddar buttermilk biscuits ($5) were pretty much the best biscuits ever and reason enough to make the trip alone. The biscuit is light and fluffy with a crunchy exterior provided by rendered bacon fat and a sprinkling of fleur de sel. They don't contain huge chunks of bacon, but the flavor is in there. The maple butter that the biscuits are served with provides a nice counterpart to the salty bacon and cheese. The fleur de sel pretzel served with horseradish mustard ($4) is as perfect a soft pretzel as you can expect and we also enjoyed the grilled flatbread with harissa yogurt ($4).



Along with the bread, we were presented a lovely selection of charcuterie, cheese, and various spreads. For the cheeses we enjoyed the Challechooker ($9) and the Mycella Blue ($10) and on the meat side we had the 12 month aged Jamon Serrano ($11) and the Picante Salami ($10). The plate also contained apple slices, more horseradish mustard, plum-thyme jam, and marcona almonds. To go with the meat and cheese was a lovely selection of sauces and honeys and nibbles. Picked vegetables ($3), marinated olives ($6), a honey selection (honeycomb, truffle honey, and chestnut honey) ($3), mustard selection (pink peppercorn, stout, redwine) ($2), and fruit spreads (rhubarb-ginger, plum-thyme, apple-fennel) ($3).





By this point, I thought we would just have a couple more dishes. I totally thought wrong. Next we had the pomegranate couscous salad ($9). This is easily the best couscous salad ever. It has a punchy lavender feta, marcona almonds, mixed melon, and mint. It's fresh, it's lovely, and I totally need the recipe so I can make it at home.



The Australian Hiramasa ($12) is fresh and light. It's flavored with yuzu koshu, and served with avocado and puffed forbidden rice. It's wonderful, but we're more in to the couscous.



The marinated cucumber salad ($8) is so pretty to look at. Ben wishes that everything was cut the same size, but I don't mind. The vegetables are so perfect. It's like everything was picked that morning and sent directly to the restaurant.



Now we are ready for more cocktails. I opt out of the hard stuff in favor of a glass of Bodega Colome Estate Malbec 2008 ($13.50). Ben tries the Manhattan Avenue ($12). It's the restaurant's take on a Manhattan and a nod to the fact that they are located on Manhattan Ave. It has buffalo trace, vanilla, caramel, and bacon dust. It sounds like it would be cloying and sweet, but it is wonderful and smooth. The bacon dust isn't overpowering and adds a touch of smoky and salty flavor. Christina has the Southern Hospitality ($12). It's a punch with eagle rare, grilled peach, cinnamon, and charred white oak. Like the other cocktails, it's not too sweet and therefore great.





Back to the food. The soft shell blue crab with Singapore chili sauce, grapefruit, apple, and coriander puree ($15) was handwritten on the menu so it probably won't  be around much longer. Go get it while you can and savor the sweet and spicy flavors.



Christina says the Steamed Mussels with green curry, Chinese sausage, and sticky rice ($14) are the best she has ever had. I'm still partial to Jitlada's green mussels in spicy broth, but these are pretty good.



Hawaiian Walv (Escolar) grilled over white oak, summer vinaigrette, basil, and kalamata ($15) isn't as assertive as some of the other dishes, but it was hard to ignore. The fish was perfectly cooked and we ate the whole thing.



I was so happy to get the Blistering Blue Lake Beans with Thai basil, chili sauce, and crispy pork ($9). I had been eying the dish when we scanned the menu earlier in the evening. The vegetables are firm and crisp. The dish is sweet, but not cloyingly so and the pork adds a richness to all the green beans.



The Fee Fi Fo Fom Fries ($6) are delicious and crisp all the way through which is rare for steak fries so large, but we didn't really need them compared to all of the other great dishes we had.



Up until now, I thought that the Ace Hotel's cotija corn off the cob was the best corn dish I'd ever had. I even tried to recreate it at home, but I was so, so wrong. The grilled sweet corn with roasted chilies, Fontina, bacon, and polenta ($10) is the best corn dish I've ever had. All of the melted cheese was perfect with the sweet corn and once again the bacon provided just enough smokiness to balance it out. That was actually something that we appreciated about the menu. Many dishes contain bacon, but it's not done in a gimmicky way. It's there to provide an essence or flavor that you just can't get anywhere else.



Meyers Farm "Never Ever" skirt steak with grilled broccolini, red chimmichurri ($17). This was one of my favorite dishes of the evening (have I said that about everything?). Even our waiter declared it to be his favorite. The steak is perfectly grilled and so tender, you hardly need a knife. The chimichurri provides a wonderful flavor punch and the broccolini was nice and charred underneath. I am so glad I ended up with the leftovers of this.



Confit pork belly with lemon braised swiss chard and corn agnalotti ($16) is a bit of a toss up. While we love the pasta that is bursting with a sweet corn puree, we don't really love the pork belly because it is a tad dry, but does provide a hint of saltiness to the dish.



Braised lamb neck with tiny summer squash, crispy gnocchi, and Bianco Sardo ($15) is a more successful meat dish in our opinion. It's amazing how the gnocchi are perfectly light and crispy at the same time.



At this point, we were so full we could only manage a few bites of the last few dishes, but they insist we have dessert. We only request The Elvis ($7) which has chocolate pudding, peanut butter mousse, bananas, and bacon brittle. Once again, the use of bacon is very restrained and only used to add a salty and crunchy counterpart to the sweet dessert. The peanut butter mousse is to die for and pairs perfectly with the chocolate pudding.



I should have known we wouldn't get away with having just one dessert. We were also sent the lemon ricotta cheesecake with Regier farms peaches, cornmeal streusel, and the chef's favorite marcona almonds ($5). It's served in a jar which I tend to think is a bit ridiculous, but actually works here because of portion control. The cheesecake is light, but I would have preferred the punchier flavor of cream cheese.



Harries Berry's are by far the most superior strawberries in Southern California, so I put aside my dislike for whipped cream and dive into the Strawberry-Verbena shortcake ($7). This restaurant has a way with biscuits that just amazes me.



The thing about LeFevre is that he's not throwing a plate of plain vegetables at you, charging you 20 dollars for it and saying you should enjoy it because they're the best tomatoes in the world. He's taking the tomatoes, preparing them in the least fussiest way, but doing something that is bold and exciting while highlighting the flavors of some of the best produce in the world. In a world when you only get either side of the spectrum, MB Post is a rare treat. I'm not even kidding when I say, we spent the entire ride home talking about how amazing a dinner it was. MB Post is the epitome of why I need to explore new areas, get out of my routine, and truly discover the vast eating ground that is Southern California. There's so much out there waiting to be explored and I've barely tipped the iceberg. I will say that my recent visit to my new favorite restaurant, will most certainly not be my last.


*Food and drinks were comped. Glowing opinions are my own. You can read Ben's glowing review here.


One year ago: Tomato Hand Pies in Bacon and Thyme Crust
Two years ago: Vaca Frita and Croquetas de Jamon
Three years ago: Oatmeal Breakfast Bars



MB Post
1142 Manhattan Ave.
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
(310) 545-5405
Website

Fig Yogurt Cake

Figs are without a doubt, my favorite end of summer/early fall treat. My first year of blogging, I posted a new fig recipe practically every other day. I'm a bit more restrained now, but this cake is just too good not to share. The original recipe was intended to be a bundt cake, but since I don't have bundt pans, I baked this in a regular cake pan. The result was two light and fluffy cakes with the subtle sweetness of figs and brightness from the lemon zest. This is great with tea and can really be eaten at any time of day. Cake for breakfast? Why not?




One year ago: Animal Restaurant
Two years ago: Gaby's Mediterranean
Three years ago: Sweet Chili Shrimp with Sesame Soy Rice


Fig Yogurt Cake
(Adapted from Serious Eats)

Makes 2 9-inch cakes

2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour, divided
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
13 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup Greek yogurt (I used nonfat)
1 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 cups roughly chopped figs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 9x1.5-inch cake pans.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Beat in the vanilla.

With the mixer on low, beat in one third of the dry ingredients, then beat in half of the yogurt. Beat in the next third of the dry ingredients and then the rest of the yogurt. Beat in the last of the dry ingredients.

Toss the figs with 1 tablespoon of flour. Stir the figs and lemon zest into the batter with a spatula.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans, filling each about three quarters of the way full. Bake the cakes for 30 minutes or until a toothpick placed in the center of the cakes comes out clean.

Transfer the cakes to a cooling rack and let cool in the pan for five minutes. Use a knife to gently loosen the cakes from the pans and let the cakes cool completely.

Printable Recipe

Street Eats at The Taste

Over Labor Day weekend, the Los Angeles Times and Food & Wine magazine held the The Taste. The four day event featured celebrity chefs, cooking demonstrations, presentations, and of course a ton of delicious food and wine. Though I had a pass to attend all of the events, I was only able to make it to Street Eats due to some personal obligations that weekend. It was a fun afternoon which ended with a freak rainstorm and a brilliant rainbow. Here are some of the highlights.



Mini flans and bacon bread pudding from Creme Caramel. That bread pudding is to die for. The perfect mix of sweet and salty.



Crying Tiger pork from Jitlada. I never get tired of this dish. In fact, I just had the beef version again this past weekend.



Pineapple and Prickly Pear Agua Fresca from Loteria Grill. So refreshing on the warm afternoon.



Braised Beef with Potato and Egg from Mexikosher. Yes, kosher Mexican food.



Wine tasting co-hosted by Justin Warner who treated us to a full-fleged rap about wine at the end. Highly entertaining.



Lamb Flatbread with sumac, pistachio, and coriander from Palate Food + Wine. My favorite bite of the day. It was a little difficult to eat, but full of warm spicy flavors with a little bit of cooling from the yogurt.



We got out of there just as it started to rain, but later I got to see this.



I had a great time that day. I would have loved to go to some of the other events, but duty called. Next time!

One year ago: Momed
Two years ago: Cubano Sandwiches
Three years ago: Slow Roasted Tomatoes

Blueberry Sweet Rolls

I need to apologize to you. Blueberry season seems to be over and I snatched up a few more just as it was ending so I could make these rolls. Save this until next year, and trust me, you'll want to. After my enormous success with non-cinnamon rolls last year, I knew I had to make another fruit roll soon. I saw a different recipe for blueberry rolls, but it seemed a little fussy. I finally found this recipe last week and knew I had to make it now since blueberry season is done. Late season blueberries are not as sweet as mid-season so they are great to bake with and bring out their delicious flavor. The only real change I made to the recipe was to add some lemon zest to the dough to brighten it up a bit, but next time (oh yes, there will be a next time), I'll do a lemon glaze instead of the vanilla. I always prefer that contrast of sweet and tart. If you have one, bake these in a 9x9 dish to give the rolls some room to expand. These rolls need to be prepped a day ahead of time so plan accordingly, but what an excellent treat they are! 


One year ago: Classic Salade Nicoisse
Two years ago: Cuban Opera Cake
Three years ago: Creme Brulee Oatmeal



Blueberry Sweet Rolls
(Adapted from Food Blogga)

Makes 9 rolls

For the dough:
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
2 packets ( 1/2 ounce or 4 1/2 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup warm water
3/4 cup warm milk
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon melted butter for brushing over the dough

For the filling
2 cups fresh blueberries, washed and patted dry
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

For the icing:
1 cup confectioner's sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
A few drops of lemon juice or milk

To make the dough:
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Stir in the water, milk, butter eggs, and vanilla. Using a wooden spoon, mix until the dough clears the sides of the bowl, adding more flour a tablespoon at a time as needed.

Lightly oil a large clean bowl and transfer the dough to the new bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough overnight.

To make the rolls:
Let the dough come to room temperature on the counter. Butter an 8-inch square pan.

Lightly flour a large surface. Roll out the dough to a 12-inch by 19-inch rectangle, cutting away any scraps as needed.

In a bowl, mix together the filling ingredients until evenly coated. Spread the filling evenly over the dough. Starting with the long side closest to you, roll the dough as tightly as possible, tucking in any blueberries that may escape. Place the end seam side down and tuck the sides of the roll under. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 9 equal pieces.

Place each piece into the prepared pan. Cover the pan with a clean, slightly damp towel and let the dough rise for 45 minutes.

Place the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the rolls for 35-45 minutes, or until the tops of the rolls are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center roll comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Whisk together the icing ingredients until smooth, but not too think. Separate the cooled buns and place them on a rack over a sheet of parchment paper. Drizzle with icing and let rest until the icing has hardened. Serve at room temperature.

Printable Recipe

Brunch at Cecconi's

This past weekend, I called myself a lady who brunches. Saturday brought me to Canele in Atwater Village, and Sunday was Cecconi's in West Hollywood. Unfortunately we were seated in a dark corner at Canele so you're only being treated to my Cecconi's experience. I love brunch. It is one of my favorite things to do, but I don't do it often because I'm usually busy farmers marketing and cooking for the week. Yesterday ended up being clear and bright, and thankfully not too hot which was a nice break from the horridly hot weather from the past week. It was the perfect day to sit on a patio, have a cocktail, and a ton of food.

We started with a few appetizers. Baked Gnocchi "Romana" with Gorgonzola Sauce ($12). We were warned that this is a rich dish, but when you're sharing between four people, it's not so overwhelming. The fluffy pillows of gnocchi were enrobed in the rich gorogonzola sauce punctuated with the sage and were totally heavenly.



Squash Blossoms with Goat Cheese in Tomato Sauce. I'm always a little wary of goat cheese, but it was nice and light in this dish and didn't mask the flavor of the delicate squash blossoms and sweet tomato sauce.



Porchetta and Cheese Sliders were reminiscent of a Cubano sandwich with salty porchetta, tangy mustard, and mild cheese sandwiched between the bread.



Quail Eggs. Hardboiled and in a mustardy sauce were a nice preview to the egg dishes we all ordered as our main course.



For the main event, I went with the Potato Rosti with Duck Eggs and Truffles ($18). I'm really picky about potatoes, so I had to make sure I would eat these before ordering. The potatoes are grated, shaped into a spiral, and fried crisp. They come topped with a decadent fried duck egg and shaved truffles. I would have appreciated a tad more salt in both the potato and egg and a bit of ground pepper on the egg, but otherwise, this dish was perfect. It's not too big, so I didn't feel overwhelmed eating the whole thing, and it's rich without you feeling bogged down.



My dining companions also ordered egg dishes. HC had the Wood Baked Fritatta with Mushrooms and Pancetta ($10). The eggs in the fritatta come out light and fluffy with a gentle saltiness from the pancetta and earthiness of the mushrooms.



The Minty went with the Full English Breakfast ($16). It's a ginormous platter of eggs cooked any style, sausages, bacon, mushrooms, baked beans, bread, and tomatoes.



Of course it's not really brunch without cocktails. Sitting Pretty with grapefruit, ginger, and thyme. Moscow Mule with housemade ginger beer, Fragrant Mojito, Peach Smash ($14 each). My Moscow Mule was on the strong side so I'm sure worth the price and packed a significant punch from the housemade ginger beer. All of the drinks were perfectly refreshing.



Of course by this point, I was perfectly sated, but we were sent a dessert platter, and who was I to turn it down? On the platter were profiteroles with cherry gelato and chocolate, ricotta cheesecake, panna cotta with berries, pistachio gelato, cannoli, and chocolate brownie. The platter is not on the regular menu, but the restaurant will make it for you upon request. I could only manage a small bite of each offering, but my favorites were the gooey brownies and pistachio gelato.



One of the main attractions at Cecconi's brunch are their Ricotta Hotcakes with Blueberry Compote ($10). We ordered them as dessert and these were some of the best pancakes I've ever had. I sometimes find ricotta to be tasteless and boring. I'm not sure if the restaurant makes theirs in house, but I love the way they dollop it into cooked pancakes and it's slightly sweet and melting when you get your platter. The blueberry compote is a perfect pairing.



Cecconi's is a nice retreat away from the bustling hub of the Boystown section of WeHo. You feel secluded from the street, but it's an excellent spot to people watch and the food is great. Besides having extensive options at brunch, Cecconi's also has a Sunday night dinner option that can't be beat. For $55 you can get dinner for four served family style. That is unheard of in this town and had all of us seriously considering going back again later in the evening.Cecconi's also has locations in Miami and London, so the next time you're in one of those towns, check it out!



*All food and drinks were comped. Opinions are my own

One year ago:Grilled Sausage and Fig Pizza
Two years ago: Foodbuzz Community Table at Beso
Three years ago: Cabbage Salad with Edamame and Cucumber

Cecconi's
8764 Melrose Avenue (free daytime valet)
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 432-2000
Website

Three Cheese Tomato Tart

I've always loved tomatoes, but this season, I am spending an insane amount on tomatoes every week at the farmers market. A few of them go into homemade salsa to be snacked on with chips (one of my most favorite snacks). The rest of them get tossed with some oil, salt, and pepper and hang out in my oven for a few hours. I'm thinking a slow roasted tomato sauce is in my future this fall or winter.



Last week, I wanted to change things up a bit with a tart I recently discovered on The Kitchn. It's a bit time consuming for after work. I don't get home until after seven so by the time I've made (and photographed) my food it's nearly nine, but the tart was so worth the wait. The tomatoes get all concentrated and sweet and the cheese is all brown and bubbly. I'll probably leave out the mayonnaise the next time because with all the cheese and the butter puff pastry, it really doesn't need it, but it wasn't entirely unwelcome. This is a great dinner with a salad and a glass of dry white wine, but it would also make a nice party appetizer. It can be changed in a few small ways such as using thyme instead of basil or adding blue cheese to the party. Or you can leave it as is in all it's perfect, late summer simplicity.




One year ago: Grilled Sausages with Figs and Mixed Greens
Two years ago: Chaya Brasserie
Three years ago: Donut Muffins

Three Cheese Tomato Tart
(Adapted from The Kitchn)

Makes 2-4 servings

4 small roma tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 sheet all butter puff pastry (I like the Trader Joes variety)
1 1/2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons-1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil

Place the sliced tomatoes on a few sheets of paper towel. Place a few more sheets of paper towel over the tomatoes. Let the tomatoes dry out for at least 30 minutes. This will prevent the tart from being soggy.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the puff pasty on the parchment paper and prick holes all over the sheet with a fork to prevent the pastry from puffing up while baking.

Spread a thin layer of the mayonnaise all over the puff pastry. Mix the cheddar and mozzarella together in a small bowl and spread them all over the pastry. Line the pastry evenly with the tomatoes. Sprinkle each tomato with salt and pepper. Grate the Parmesan over the tomatoes and pastry and then sprinkle with the basil.  Bake the tart for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is brown and bubbling and the crust is lightly golden. Let the tart cool for five minutes on a wire rack before cutting. Serve warm.

Printable Recipe

Mohawk Bend

Despite my proximity, I always feel like the neighborhoods of Los Feliz, Silverlake, and Echo Park are a bit too cool for me. My mostly H&M wardrobe seems tame in comparison to the boots, skinny jeans, and band t-shirts I see so many people wearing. However, there a ton of great restaurants in the area and new ones are opening seemingly every day. On a recent Friday, I was invited to sample the offerings at Mohawk Bend in Echo Park. An old movie theater turned restaurant/bar, this place caters to the eclectic crowd in the neighborhood. Tony Yanow of Tony Darts Away, LA Vegan Beer Festival, and soon to be open Golden Road Brewing has created a spot that can fulfill your cravings at any given moment. The menu is 60% vegan and there is no chicken or beef in the non-vegan options. It is entirely possible to have a satisfying dinner of fish, pork, duck, and vegan salads...vegan pizzas...not so much.

To get the night started off right, I ordered a Mischief by The Bruery. There is a small, well-crafted cocktail list, an extensive beer list, and a short (two options only) wine list. Mischief is my favorite beer of the moment.



We were sent platters of flatbreads with assorted dips. In our case hummus, eggplant, and ricotta. They were all good, but I only had tiny bites of each knowing that a lot more food was about to be on the way.



In a group setting, it seems you are obligated to order calamari. This Monterrey squid is fried and paired with a jet black, squid ink aioli ($11). It's good and though the color of the aioli may be off-putting to some, it has a nice tang and pairs well with the light sweetness of the squid.



Spanish stuffed dates wrapped in bacon and stuffed with chorizo ($6) are a non vegan dream. Sweet dates and salty bacon are already great, but the smoky chorizo on the inside really puts these over the top.



I usually don't like eggplant, but I really liked these eggplant rolls with serrano ham, smoked mozzarella, and basil. I think it had to do with the slightly sweet, salty, smoky combo that I just love so much.



We were soon greeted with pizzas. One vegan caprese and one non-vegan caprese (not pictured) (Both $11). Vegan cheese...well, I can't say I like it. It's kind of like cheese flavored marshmallow fluff.



The restaurant plays up to it's movie theater setting. The Abe Frohman pizza ($12) (named after Ferris Bueller's alter ego in a restaurant) is topped with cheese, sausage, and peppers.



The other non-vegan pizza we had was the Private Idaho ($12) with bacon, potatoes, caramelized onions, and creme fraiche. Though I still don't understand potatoes on pizza (carbs on top of carbs?), I quite enjoyed this. So much so, that I didn't get a picture.

We had more success with the vegetarian/vegan options with the salad. We made the JJ Kale non vegan by topping it with some feta, but you really can't go wrong with kale, lemon juice, tomatoes, and jicama. Crunchy and refreshing.



Also refreshing was The Flash Gordon salad ($9) with little gem lettuce, citrus, dill dressing, pickled onions, and pine nuts.




One of the popular vegetarian main dish options is the squash and chips ($11). The seltzer batter is a little bland, but the yuzu ponzu more than makes up for it. I wanted to drink it (but I didn't)



My final course of the night (I had to leave early so I missed dessert) was the Dork Burger ($14). It's a freshly ground duck and pork burger with fennel, pickled onions, and apple. We all ordered it with the optional gruyere and fried duck egg. This is messy and hard to eat, but kind of fun. It's way too rich for one person and can easily be shared between two or three people.



I had a great time at Mohawk Bend. Service was a little spotty (they kept bringing us things meant for other tables) and I think it's really more of a drinks and appetizer place than somewhere to have a full blown dinner. The beer list alone and the fact that it is close by and cab friendly will definitely keep me coming back. The experience has me excited to check out the brewery opening next month.

*All food and drinks were comped. Opinions are my own

Mohawk Bend
2141 W. Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(213) 483-2337
Website

BLP (Bacon, Lettuce, Peach) Sandwich

Apparently this past Saturday was national bacon day. I didn't even know it when I set out to make this sandwich. All I was really thinking was about another version that had caught my eyes a few days prior. I am loving the late summer white peaches I have been picking up from the farmers market every week. They are so sweet and have a good crunch like an apple. Since I can't eat raw plums, I subbed peaches for them in this sandwich. The herbed mayonnaise adds just enough moisture to the sandwich without feeling gloppy and the thick applewood bacon is so smoky with a hint of sweetness. I love the textures in this sandwich and really wanted to make another, but I had to save some room for the events at The Taste (more on that later). I had the perfect lazy Saturday lounging by the pool and devouring this sandwich. I hope everyone enjoyed their long weekend as much as I did.



BLP Sandwich
(Adapted from The New York Times)

Makes 1 sandwich

1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 basil leaf, finely chopped
Leaves from 1 spring thyme, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
2 slices whole wheat sandwich bread
1 leaf butter lettuce
3 slices bacon, cooked to desired crispness
1/2 of a white peach, thinly sliced

In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise with the chopped herbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spread the herbed mayonnaise on top of one slice of bread, layer with the lettuce, bacon, and peaches.

Printable Recipe