Son of a Gun in Los Angeles

October 27, 2014 by 6 Comments

On my last trip to Los Angeles, when I had been throwing my sister’s wedding shower, we had driven by Son of a Gun on the way to Dry Bar and I vowed to return on my next visit. I made good on that promise to myself on this most recent trip to LA.

My main focus was to try the shrimp toast sandwich and their famous lobster roll. Besides anything with cheese, I would say a lobster roll tops my list that if I see it on a menu, I will order it. And, I am willing to travel and do what it takes for a good version of a lobster roll. The one at Son of a Gun has been listed as one of the top 5 lobster rolls in LA, which further fueled my motivation. The signage is not that obvious, but look for the red door.
Son of a Gun, in Los Angeles Son of a Gun, in Los Angeles

Son of a Gun is mostly a seafood restaurant, which is why the large sections of their menu are divided into Raw, Shellfish, Fish, and only 2 options for Meat and 3 seasonals which are salads. But, one of those options for meat is their famous fried chicken sandwich. The other, which we did not have room for, is the Country ham sandwich they offer.

Unlike the shrimp toast sandwich and lobster roll, this thing is massive, served with a buttery roll and spicy b&b pickle slaw and rooster aioli.
Son of a Gun, fried chicken sandwich, spicy b&b pickle slaw, rooster aioli Son of a Gun, fried chicken sandwich, spicy b&b pickle slaw, rooster aioli

Meanwhile, the shrimp toast sandwich and lobster roll are more palm sized, so like me, you can order 1 of each. The shrimp toast sandwich with herbs and sriracha mayo is small for the price tag, as is the lobster roll, but are intense in flavor. The shrimp toast sandwich you can conceivably cut in half to share a taste as it is a bit greasy, but you will want to eat that lobster roll, with its very buttery roll that is melt in your mouth, all by yourself.
Son of a Gun, Shrimp Toast Sandwich with herbs, sriracha mayo Son of a Gun, Shrimp Toast Sandwich with herbs, sriracha mayo

Remember, the lobster roll is only palm sized, unlike many other lobster rolls that are hoagie sized, so set your expectations accordingly.
Son of a Gun, Lobster Roll with celery, lemon aioli Son of a Gun, Lobster Roll with celery, lemon aioli Son of a Gun, Lobster Roll with celery, lemon aioli

One disappointment during our visit was that service was slow. We arrived there a bit later to avoid the lunch rush, around 1:45 pm. It took almost 10 minutes before someone finally took our order and bring our waters, and so we didn’t see any food until 2:10 pm (verified by the timestamp on my pictures). Only shortly after receiving our food, while still eating, the waitress came over to ask if us if we wanted dessert or anything else as they were closing the kitchen (the restaurant closes at 2:30 to complete lunch service), not that they had the menu in hand when they asked so we could look. There were literally only a handful of tables occupied in the restaurant, so I’m not quite sure why they were slow to get to us. We paid cash in order to get out of there quickly. Hopefully, this was just a one-off experience on a waitress’ bad day.

 

Similar to how I will journey to find a good lobster roll, is there certain food you will go out of your way for when you travel?

 

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Barlow Artisanal Bar

September 16, 2014 by 5 Comments

There is another Barlow in town, not to be confused with Barlow Tavern. This is Barlow Artisanal Bar, located at 737 SW Salmon St.right next to the very stylish and already loved by me Picnic House that I have written about several times before.

The exterior of Barlow Artisanal Bar The exterior of Barlow Artisanal Bar The exterior of Barlow Artisanal Bar The exterior of Barlow Artisanal Bar

I have been peeking at the space under construction for months. I was drawn especially in when the beautiful chandelier in the back got installed over the larger group table.

The interior of Barlow Artisanal Bar The interior of Barlow Artisanal Bar The interior of Barlow Artisanal Bar

With 5 taps and a dozen exquisite options on their cocktail menu, this classy bar is a welcome addition to this area. In walking distance are several hotels and museums such as the Portland Art Museum, Oregon Historical Museum. And Barlow is just blocks from the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall to kick off or wrap up a sophisticated date night.

The stunning lights of Barlow Artisanal Bar

Once you have stepped inside, you feel like you’ve stepped into a glamorous art deco bar. There is a long L shaped bar in the front, then small cocktail tables to lounge and drink as you are heading towards the back.

The interior of Barlow Artisanal Bar The interior of Barlow Artisanal Bar The interior of Barlow Artisanal Bar The interior of Barlow Artisanal Bar

After walking past the stunning lit Barlow sign across from their other stairway, the back wall of an alluring flapper girl welcomes you. The back opens up slightly for a few small tables including a larger group table. Restrooms are separated off by the hanging silver beaded curtains.

The interior of Barlow Artisanal Bar The interior of Barlow Artisanal Bar The interior of Barlow Artisanal Bar

I stopped by “accidentally” when they were still doing their soft opening where it was bustling during their early happy hour 3-6pm. They also have a late happy hour 10pm-close. On later visits on a few other weekday evenings after happy hour, it had noticeably mellowed out. This yielded that some of these photos that look like it was almost empty, but let me assure you I was not the only one there each visit.

 The interior of Barlow Artisanal Bar The interior of Barlow Artisanal Bar

As if this all wasn’t already so cool enough, when they need a chilled martini glass, it is very dramatic with dry ice.

The oh so casual cooling of your martini glass with dry ice bar the bartenders of Barlow Artisanal Bar The oh so casual cooling of your martini glass with dry ice bar the bartenders of Barlow Artisanal Bar The oh so casual cooling of your martini glass with dry ice bar the bartenders of Barlow Artisanal Bar

Some cocktails of Barlow Artisanal Bar

  • Clover Club with gin, lemon, creme yvette, maraschino luxardo, raspberry simple, egg white
    Barlow Artisanal Bar Cocktail of the Clover Club with gin, lemon, creme yvette, maraschino luxardo, raspberry simple, egg white Barlow Artisanal Bar Cocktail of the Clover Club with gin, lemon, creme yvette, maraschino luxardo, raspberry simple, egg white
  • The Knickerbocker with 8 year rum, 10 k rum, orange liqueur, lemon, raspberry pineapple simple, demerara simple, and all served over shaved ice with a silver straw to give it a tiki twist. I found the ice in mine to be really too large where I was trying to punch through the ice to get to my drink, but it was probably a one off mistake.
    Barlow Artisanal Bar Cocktail, the Knickerbocker with 8 year rum, 10 k rum, orange liqueur, lemon, raspberry pineapple simple, demerara simple, and all served over shaved ice Barlow Artisanal Bar Cocktail, the Knickerbocker with 8 year rum, 10 k rum, orange liqueur, lemon, raspberry pineapple simple, demerara simple, and all served over shaved ice Barlow Artisanal Bar Cocktail, the Knickerbocker with 8 year rum, 10 k rum, orange liqueur, lemon, raspberry pineapple simple, demerara simple, and all served over shaved ice
  • Rattlesnake with rittenhouse rye, lemon, egg white, gomme syrup, fernet braca, and ginger liqueur. My favorite of the two egg white drinks.
    Barlow Artisanal Bar Cocktail, the Rattlesnake with rittenhouse rye, lemon, egg white, gomme syrup, fernet braca, and ginger liqueur Barlow Artisanal Bar Cocktail, the Rattlesnake with rittenhouse rye, lemon, egg white, gomme syrup, fernet braca, and ginger liqueur
  • Blood and Beach Sand cocktail with scotch whisky, cherry heering, sweet vermouth, and pineapple
    Barlow Artisanal Bar Cocktail, the Blood and Beach Sand with scotch whisky, cherry heering, sweet vermouth, and pineapple Barlow Artisanal Bar Cocktail, the Blood and Beach Sand with scotch whisky, cherry heering, sweet vermouth, and pineapple
  • Cocktail of the Sidecar Au Poire with brandy, lemon, pear liqueur. This was one of my personal favorites.
    Barlow Artisanal Bar Cocktail, the Sidecar Au Poire with brandy, lemon, pear liqueur Barlow Artisanal Bar Cocktail, the Sidecar Au Poire with brandy, lemon, pear liqueur Barlow Artisanal Bar Cocktail, the Sidecar Au Poire with brandy, lemon, pear liqueur
  • I also loved their cocktail Derby with bonded bourbon, lime, orange liquor, sweet vermouth, and cardamom. They use a special round ice for this drink. Usually there is a sprinkle of cardamom on top but they were out during my visit.
    Barlow Artisonal Bar cocktail Derby with bonded bourbon, lime, organge liquor, sweet vermouth, and cardamom Barlow Artisonal Bar cocktail Derby with bonded bourbon, lime, organge liquor, sweet vermouth, and cardamom Barlow Artisonal Bar uses this special round ice cube for their cocktail Derby with bonded bourbon, lime, orange liquor, sweet vermouth, and cardamom
  • An Open Drink the bartender made for me and the reason you should try to sit at the bar if you can
    An Open Drink the bartender made for me at Barlow Artisanal Bar An Open Drink the bartender made for me at Barlow Artisanal Bar
  • Pours of beer
    Barlow Artisanal Bar Cocktail, beer Barlow Artisanal Bar Cocktail, beer
  • From the dessert menu, finish with something sweet such as the MonMarte Float with root beer, absinthe, and creme anglaise or the Jamaican Coffee with dark rum, coffee liqueor, sherry, demerara simple, and cream
    MonMarte Float with root beer, absinthe, and creme anglaise Jamaican Coffee with dark rum, coffee liqueor, sherry, demerara simple, and cream

Nosh

The food at Barlow are just small plates meant to accompany your cocktail as a snack – don’t expect to eat a full meal here.

  • Cheese and Charcuterie selection of the chef from a happy hour, $8, included 2 cheeses, a pate, and warm pretzel bread
    Barlow Artisanal Bar Cheese and Charcuterie selection of the chef from a happy hour, $8, included 2 cheeses, a pate, and warm pretzel bread Barlow Artisanal Bar Cheese and Charcuterie selection of the chef from a happy hour, $8, included 2 cheeses, a pate, and warm pretzel bread Barlow Artisanal Bar Cheese and Charcuterie selection of the chef from a happy hour, $8, included 2 cheeses, a pate, and warm pretzel bread Barlow Artisanal Bar Cheese and Charcuterie selection of the chef from a happy hour, $8, included 2 cheeses, a pate, and warm pretzel bread Barlow Artisanal Bar Cheese and Charcuterie selection of the chef from a happy hour, $8, included 2 cheeses, a pate, and warm pretzel bread
  • Also from Happy Hour, the Caramelized Onion Dip is $6 and comes with potato chips and crudite
    From Barlow Artisanal Bar's Happy Hour menu, the Caramelized Onion Dip is $6 and comes with potato chips and crudite From Barlow Artisanal Bar's Happy Hour menu, the Caramelized Onion Dip is $6 and comes with potato chips and crudite From Barlow Artisanal Bar's Happy Hour menu, the Caramelized Onion Dip is $6 and comes with potato chips and crudite
  • Lobster Roll with roasted lobster, celery tarragon, chives, aioli, and lemon served on a primo roll with chips. During one of my more recent visits this was off the menu already, so maybe it was just a brief seasonal item. It was probably the most substantial dish there.
    Food at the Barlow Artisanal Bar for noshing, such as the Lobster Roll with roasted lobster, celery tarragon, dchives, aioli, and lemon served on a primo roll with chips Food at the Barlow Artisanal Bar for noshing, such as the Lobster Roll with roasted lobster, celery tarragon, dchives, aioli, and lemon served on a primo roll with chips Food at the Barlow Artisanal Bar for noshing, such as the Lobster Roll with roasted lobster, celery tarragon, dchives, aioli, and lemon served on a primo roll with chips
  • Leave off the carbs and go directly to meat with these Lamb Lollipops that are seared and served with housemade mint jelly
    Barlow Artisanal Bar's Lamb Lollipops that are seared and served with housemade mint jelly Barlow Artisanal Bar's Lamb Lollipops that are seared and served with housemade mint jelly
  • My favorite of what I tasted was Barlow Artisanal Bar’s take on a classic Russian dish, a Vegetable and Lardon Terrine with potatoes, beets, carrots, egg, lardons, chives, aioli vinaigrette. As delicious as it looks.
    My favorite of what I tasted was Barlow Artisanal Bar's take on a classic Russian dish, a Vegetable and Lardon Terrine with potatoes, beets, carrots, egg, lardons, chives, aioli vinaigrette. As delicious as it looks. My favorite of what I tasted was Barlow Artisanal Bar's take on a classic Russian dish, a Vegetable and Lardon Terrine with potatoes, beets, carrots, egg, lardons, chives, aioli vinaigrette. As delicious as it looks. My favorite of what I tasted was Barlow Artisanal Bar's take on a classic Russian dish, a Vegetable and Lardon Terrine with potatoes, beets, carrots, egg, lardons, chives, aioli vinaigrette. As delicious as it looks. My favorite of what I tasted was Barlow Artisanal Bar's take on a classic Russian dish, a Vegetable and Lardon Terrine with potatoes, beets, carrots, egg, lardons, chives, aioli vinaigrette. As delicious as it looks.

Here’s a look at their menus: Cocktail Menu, Happy Hour Menu, Food Menu, Dessert Menu.
Menu of the cocktails at Barlow Artisanal Bar Menu of the Food at the Barlow Artisanal Bar for noshing

 

They plan to change up their food and cocktails seasonally, so I’m expecting that there may be an update soon from what I’ve shared. They have only been open a month and still under everyone’s radar so I wanted to share this discovery with you!

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Pearl Oyster Bar, New York

June 11, 2014 by 7 Comments

You may have been shocked – shocked! – that in my previous posts about my week in New York where I visited Chelsea Market and Todd English Food Hall, both where I had pictures that showed lobster rolls were available, that I did not eat lobster while there.

Believe me, I was very very tempted. I am a sucker for lobster rolls. There was one time all I asked for my birthday were lobster rolls, and after being gifted some shipped from the Northeast, I ate them everyday. Hmm, I might ask for that gift again…

One of the reasons I was able to resist (though it was very hard… I promise you each time I probably stood and gazed longingly at the lobster for a couple minutes and tried to rationalize if I could order it, have a few bites, and still have the meal I planned and save the rest away in the hotel fridge) was thanks to Pearl Oyster Bar.

You see, that’s because I ordered the lobster roll there. And Pearl is pretty reknown for their lobster roll, among many other things on their menu.

I loved it. I visited on a Sunday evening, relatively early in the evening so the restaurant had only just opened for dinner service. I sat at the bar, where I chatted with the New Yorkers on the barstools on each side of me (both turned out to be regulars) and the friendly and knowledgeable barkeep poured such a crisp delightful white wine that I couldn’t help but want to linger.

The whole feel of this restaurant in Greenwich feels so fabulously classic New York. It’s close quarters in there, so be prepared to get cozy, and there may be people waiting anxiously for you to vacate your seat at this small restaurant that takes no reservations.
Pearl Oyster Bar, New York Pearl Oyster Bar, New York Pearl Oyster Bar, New York

I think the best seats are at the marble bar.
Pearl Oyster Bar, New York

As an appetizer, I could have gone with the tasty sounding fried oysters, or safe and well reviewed clam chowder. But I remember that Amanda Hess once wrote a chapter about dining alone at Pearl, and she had ordered the Salt Crusted Shrimp. So there was no question in my mind that was what I would get too.
Pearl Oyster Bar, NY. I remember that Amanda Hess once wrote a chapter about dining alone at Pearl, and she had ordered the Salt Crusted Shrimp. So there was no question in my mind that was what I would get too. Pearl Oyster Bar, NY. I remember that Amanda Hess once wrote a chapter about dining alone at Pearl, and she had ordered the Salt Crusted Shrimp. So there was no question in my mind that was what I would get too. Pearl Oyster Bar, NY. I remember that Amanda Hess once wrote a chapter about dining alone at Pearl, and she had ordered the Salt Crusted Shrimp. So there was no question in my mind that was what I would get too.

Maybe I was supposed to eat that daintily with a fork, but I totally did so with my fingers. Well, ok I did use the fork with the green beans… mostly.

And then it was time for that famed lobster roll, possibly the best lobster roll in New York. I feel a need to test this more.
The Pearl Lobster Roll w/Shoestring Fries at Pearl Oyster Bar, NY The Pearl Lobster Roll w/Shoestring Fries at Pearl Oyster Bar, NY

In fact, one of my bucket list dream vacations is to just travel the Northeast of the US eating lobster rolls. For some reason, vegetarian F is not as thrilled by this roadtrip idea. But I tell you, I don’t know any limits on my ability to enjoy sweet, succulent lobster. Well, I at least had you, Pearl Oyster lobster roll, to tide me for a while until then.
The Pearl Lobster Roll w/Shoestring Fries at Pearl Oyster Bar, NY

What are your thoughts on lobster rolls? Have you ever had a real New England lobster roll before?

Other New York highlights from this trip that I have blogged about:

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Chicago French Market

January 8, 2014 by 5 Comments

After I moved to Portland from Chicago, in an area downtown close to Oglivie and Metra stations they opened up an indoor marketplace, called the Chicago French Market. Inside you can basically eat around the world- there are more than 30 food vendors all in various aisles.

You could start with kosher lox on a bagel, go on to French crepes to a raw food stand, sushi and sashimi, sandwiches from Stephanie Izard’s Little Goat Bread or a cheese plate from Pastoral Artisan Cheeses. Order steaming bowls of pho or banh mi from Saigon Sisters, check out which gourmet lasagna that combines home grown with exoctic flavors is available today, or try ceviche from the Mexican vendor, wash it down with fresh smoothies/juices, and then finish off with beautiful little cakes and macaroons (such as below from Vanille Patisserie).

Chicago French Market Beavers Coffee + Donuts, coffee and fresh donuts at Chicago French Market Chicago French Market Vanille Patisserie macaroons, at the Chicago French Market Vanille Patisserie at the Chicago French Market

During my lunch visit during Christmas week, I made the Chicago French Market one of my stops while we were staying downtown our first 36 hours. As I was reading about the Chicago French market online, my eyes immediately zoomed in on this vendor and it was happening. Portland is a crab city, so being able to get my lobster fix, especially in a buttery lobster roll, was enough enticement that I even told F that if he wanted to meet his friend elsewhere for lunch, he could go ahead- I was coming here alone if I had to.

I was able to try clam chowder, and of course the lobster roll sandwich from Da Lobsta. And, boy did it happen.
Da Lobsta stand at the Chicago French Market Da Lobsta stand at the Chicago French Market  Da Lobsta stand at the Chicago French Market, menu Da Lobsta stand at the Chicago French Market, Lobster Roll Da Lobsta stand at the Chicago French Market, Lobster Roll

I also tried Belgian frites with Belgian beers rom Frietkoten Belgian Fries and Beer. The frites are hand peeled, cut, and washed and double-fried in vegetable oil to ensure perfect crispyness. The beer selection is pretty impressive as a stop in the mid-afternoon before you return to the suburbs, or if you are coming from the suburbs on the Metra trains for an evening in the city. I tried 3 sauces from their selection of 12- Truffle Mayo, Blue Cheese Mayo, and Wasabi Mayo.

Of the two sizes the regular is more than enough for 2, and the large enough for 4 or more for just a $1 extra. They also offer hand pressed burgers, but with the lobster roll I had to defer the burger for a future Chicago visit in 2014. F’s friend testified to how good they are, and considering how great his recommendation was of the next item I’m covering, I believe that the cheeseburgers are excellent. The frites were all crispy- usually I pick around, looking for the crispy ones. They fry them fresh to order, and there is no need to pick around here- all the fries were perfect, every one.
Frietkoten Belgian Fries, Sauces, Beers, at Chicago French Market Frietkoten Belgian Fries, Sauces, Beers, at Chicago French Market Frietkoten Belgian Fries, Sauces, Beers, at Chicago French Market

Later, there was bonus sample round of what F’s friend shared with me, the best pastrami ever, a Montreal-style smoked meat sandwich from Fumare Meats. Their meat always includes fatty as well as crispy end bits, which makes it a perfect package of a sandwich. Poor guy, he gave me his leftover half of a sandwich before we bade farewell to our respective trains, and later I found out he forgot his keys to his home which left him in the cold December freezing weather and sandwich-less.

So when I had this later, I made sure to take a few extra shots of the sandwich to show my appreciation of his generosity and sacrifice. Thanks Smitty!
Montreal-style smoked meat sandwich from Fumare Meats, in the Chicago French Market Montreal-style smoked meat sandwich from Fumare Meats, in the Chicago French Market Montreal-style smoked meat sandwich from Fumare Meats, in the Chicago French Market Montreal-style smoked meat sandwich from Fumare Meats, in the Chicago French Market Montreal-style smoked meat sandwich from Fumare Meats, in the Chicago French Market

If you are ever in Chicago, definitely consider visiting. It is very reminiscent of a street market- but thankfully housed indoors, since it get can pretty cold in Chicago winters. Each vendor is an independent business- but they all seemed to accept credit card via Square, so it was also reminding me of food cart pods here in Portland but with the benefit of being indoors, access to more room and display cases etc. There is a main area for dining (in better weather there are also seats outdoors for al fresco dining).

They offer free 1 hour parking as long as you spend $20, and several of the vendors you can call or go online to order ahead of time!

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Lobsters in LA

January 5, 2013 by 3 Comments

I love lobster rolls. I seem to have a harder time finding them here in the Northwest, but in LA there are several roaming lobster trucks, so when I went to visit for Christmas week I requested that I try one. The Lobsta Truck was on holiday, so based on previous experience of my siblings and location from where we were staying, our next choice was Cousins Maine Lobster. It was parked right next to another food truck, Let’s Roll It, that takes various Japanese dishes and then substitutes cooked meat from other cultures instead- we looked longingly at inari pouches with lobster and a lobster maki roll, but did not get distracted. We were here for lobster rolls, and then off to a second lunch destination.

My brother and I got the Connecticut Lobster Roll, which has fresh warm Maine lobster served on toasted New England style roll and touched with melted butter and lemon. The fact that it is a New England style roll is critical. My mom went with the Maine Crab roll that uses Maine Jonah crab in the same roll brushed with butter and dressed with mayo. At first she was using a fork to just eat the crab meat and I was totally not going to let her throw away that roll- I would eat it plain- but then she discovered that it was really good bread and ate it all herself after all. One of my bucket list trips is to go to Maine and just eat lobster rolls all week.

Cousins Lobster Truck Cousins Lobster Truck

They have a cute little ironing board where you can wrap up your leftovers in foil if you’d like, but that’s silly. You will not have any leftovers. You will devour this sandwich in mere minutes, mmmming the whole time from the toasted but soft sweet buttery roll and the generous lobster meat.

Cousins Lobster Truck crab roll Cousins Lobster Truck lobster roll LA

Cousins also has a restaurant in Pasadena, which then offers additional menu options if you don’t have the flexibility to stalk down the latest location of their truck.

Actually, this was quite a lobster day. First, after all that sweet lobster had melted in my mouth, on the way to lunch stop #2 I had the lobster ice cream.

Cousins Lobster Truck lobster ice cream

And, later that evening, the family went off to eat the specialty house lobster at Newport Seafood Restaurant.

Newport Seafood Restaurant Chinese lobster

I don’t think there is ever too much lobster. Having it whole where you need to free that tender lobster meat from the shell is not something I really enjoy- I prefer lobster tails and lobster rolls and let’s say, lobster that is added to a dish (such as the Risotto Con Aragosta I had at Michaels on Naples).

I was so happy with my dinner at Michaels- my lobster risotto was decadent but not too creamy, and I also go to share 1/3 of the  Bistecca Per Due special they had, a really tasty 32 ounce prime rib eye roast with my brother which they carved table-side for us. Even though it was a chilly 40 degrees or so, sitting on their upstairs patio was no problem at all because they had covered it with a tent and had plenty of heat lamps, a roaring fireplace, a saxophone player playing at the bar, so sophisticated  it didn’t even seem like we were outside. If I hadn’t been with my siblings, I would have never gotten to experience this elegant meal- and it was one of my top two meals of the week (the other being Cousins which was delicious but not really elegant as we were eating standing on the street). Great picks J!

Michaels on Naples lobster risotto Michaels on Naples Bistecca Per Due Michaels on Naples Bistecca Per Due

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