I actually went to Church & State right before leaving for Japan and since I have returned from Japan, I have been furiously blogging and posting pictures from our trip. However, now I can return back to some of the places I visited before the trip and since then. I feel like I need to catch up on my life and also share the interesting and fun places I have been so fortunate to dine at.
I heard about Church & State via a friend through Facebook and then later approached Kris, my foodie friend/maid of honor/best friend since middle school, about it. She told me that she didn’t get a chance to go yet and really wanted to try it out. So we actually went the night before I left for Japan. I arrived at Church & State first and was fascinated with the location. First, the restaurant is situated in the National Biscuit Company Building, which was built in 1925. I loved the brick and the historical aspect of the building. In addition, the sun was setting and there was this beauty of the tranquility of Downtown Los Angeles on this quiet street. Cars were lined up, all parallel parked, the restaurant was on one side and an upscale apartment complex and bar was on the other, lampposts dipped down, and the backdrop of the sun was there. There was silent beauty and the lack of traffic, noise, and the busy feel associated with a city.
When Kris arrived, we sat down, only to come to the indecisive nature on what to order. There were a handful of dishes we wanted to try, and that did not include the daily menu written up on the blackboard. Whenever this happens, I initially feel overwhelmed and finally just say, Order whatever you feel like. I am pretty easy in that way – willing to try anything at least once. However, it can drive people mad and that day, I was responsible for picking at least one dish.
We finally settled on Mœlle de Bœuf – Roasted Marrow Bone, Loup de Mer -Sea Bass, Chanterelle Mushrooms, Red Flame and Thompson Seedless Grapes, and Bavette à la Bordelaise – Braised Beef Short Rib, Wild Mushrooms, and Red Wine Sauce. We figured with these three dishes, that would be enough to share and feel satisfied. After placing our order, though, an aroma filled the air and both of us looked around curiously at what it could possible be. A couple tables over and back had Escargots de Bourgogne – Snails Baked in Garlic and Parsley Butter – and at that point we had to get it as well. So at this point, we had way more than enough food for the two of us.
The Roasted Marrow Bone came out first and this was the first time I ever had it. I saw it on the show The Best Thing I Ever Ate on Food Network and thought it was interesting while Taro, on the hand, found it mildly questionable. I figured that the best person to have it with was Kris and when I initially told her about wanting to try it, she was glad to since she really enjoys it. So it came out, and I spooned the marrow onto a piece of bread. My impression of it? Very flavorful and tasty! I think you have to initially get used to the texture of it – gelatin like – and after that, it is just a different warm spread that you can eat with bread. I enjoyed it enough to want to have it again; hopefully Taro will be open to experiencing it.
The Escargots de Bourgogne came out shortly after the Roasted Marrow Bone and I loved the presentation of it! It reminded me of Bouchon, but on a larger scale, and it looked like mini-potpies. I thought there was a good balance of snail, which frankly, was quite large, to the baked crust of the pastry. I have really come to enjoy escargots and am not sure where the appreciation of it came from, but it is definitely a treat to have them!
Our main dishes then came out and I was at the brink of feeling stuffed. The Braised Beef Short Rib was extremely tender and the wine sauce complimented well with the beef. The Sea Bass was equally as good and both of us were pleased by the food at Church & State. Again, it was another great night with my friend, Kris, who is always fun to hang out with and dine. There is always a lot of chatter, a glass of wine each, silence as we deconstruct the food and smile at the delightfulness of the dish, and friendship as we bond and continue to share our lives together.
Where to next? Palate. I told her how much I enjoyed it with Taro (Photos will be posted soon!) and we are planning on going for Offal Good Wednesday very soon.
The night that I had dinner with Kris at Lazy Ox Canteen, she told me about Wurstküche, a restaurant specializing in polish sausages, located in the Arts District. She specifically said that Taro would love the variety of beer that they offered there and that if I went to Wurstküche, I had to try the cucumber soda. So the day after we had dinner, Taro and I were contemplating what to have for lunch. We actually started to head towards Glendale to Portos, one of my favorite places, since we had to get a cake for my grandparents’ anniversary. Not even a couple minutes into the drive, I asked Taro if he wanted to go for polish sausages instead. He said yes and that’s when I made a u-turn and we headed off in the opposite direction for our mini food adventure!
When we arrived at Wurstküche, there was a small line, but it quickly grew and by the time we decided on what we wanted, there was a solid line behind us. The variety of sausages is unbelievable – ranging from classics such as the bratwurst to exotics that include alligator, rattlesnake, buffalo, duck, and rabbit. Since Taro loves bratwursts, we had to order one. However, our eyes were much more hungry than our stomachs and we ended up getting two more – the Duck and Bacon with Jalapeno Peppers (described as juicy and packed with flavor) and Rabbit, Veal, and Pork Seasoned with White Wine (described as light and delicate). Each sausage is served on a freshly baked roll with a choice of two toppings. On our bratwurst, we had sauerkraut and sweet peppers. The duck had carmelized onions while the rabbit had spicy peppers. To top off our sausage order, we added a small order of Belgian Fries with curry ketchup dipping sauce.
When our order arrived, we thought we could conquer the sausages and fries. However, we were so stuffed that Taro couldn’t even finish his beer! Of the three sausages, we really enjoyed the bratwurst – different from how Taro makes it at home – and the Duck and Bacon with Jalapeno Peppers. The latter was very flavorful and unique. The Rabbit, Veal, and Pork Seasoned with White Wine was good, but nothing compared to the duck.
We definitely plan to return and this place seems ideal for a late night snack. There are definitely more gourmet and exotic sausages that we would like to try off the menu – plus I would love to have another Mr. Q Cumber soda!
I love catching up with friends, especially if it is over a good meal. Since I have not had a chance to catch up with Kris, we decided to have dinner and she suggested Lazy Ox Canteen. Always open to new places and looking for an adventure, I happily agreed. So on a Friday night, we both ventured to Little Tokyo to Lazy Ox Canteen. Initially it was tricky finding the place, especially since it didn’t have a sign up whatsoever. However, we both managed to find the restaurant only to discover that there would be a three hour wait! However, we were both determined to try the place and put our names down for seating (outside seating and bar seating was available based on first come, first serve). After waiting for roughly an hour, tables finally opened up and we sat down, eager to try dishes on the menu and on the board.
There was such a variety both on the menu and on the blackboard inside that it was hard narrowing down our choices. On top of that, whenever I try a place with Kris, she always wants to try multiple things – usually too much for our own good – and I feel the exact same way. We justified ordering more than usual for two people by telling ourselves that the dishes were tapas style – smaller and meant to be shared. Off the menu we ended up ordering Salt Cod Brandade Fritters (with yuzu aioli), Charred Octopus (with pickled shallots, lima beans, and smoked paprika), and Hand-torn Egg Pasta (with sunny-side egg, brown butter, and fine herbs). From the blackboard, we ordered Lamb Cheek and the Ox Burger. The Charred Octopus came out first, which was an overall okay dish. It didn’t stand out and we were not thoroughly impressed by it. However, the Salt Cod Brandade Fritters came out next and they were delicious! Our waiter described them as corquette-like with butter and a chunk of fish. It was exactly that, but better. Part of me wished there were more than three pieces (And in the back of my head, I thought Taro would love this dish!). The Hand-torn Egg Pasta, Lamb Cheek, and Ox Burger followed and all three were flavorful and worth getting again. The lamb was very tender and reminded me of the beef cheek Taro ordered at The London. Lazy Ox Canteen is known for their burger and the burger did meet our expectations. I would definitely go back for the burger – and bring along Taro, my brother, and Vivian since they all love burgers.
Overall, Lazy Ox Canteen was a good experience and I enjoyed spending time with one of my best friends. You can’t ask for anything more – good company, good food and wine, and fun overall.
Lo and behold, after Kris and I went to Lazy Ox Canteen, she sent me an article from the Los Angeles Times reviewing the food there.
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