Elina Shatkin

A Six-Stop Los Angeles Burger Tour for National Burger Day

Haven't gotten enough vitamin Burger in your life lately? Well, considering that yesterday was Memorial Day, if you still have a hankering for burgers, it's either an indication that yesterday's party plans fell through, or you're the type of tough S.O.B. who just can't get enough burger in your lif ... More >>

5 Places to Eat and Drink While Avoiding the Super Bowl Drinking at Disneyland!

Not all of us were swaddled in Lakers jerseys straight from the womb or outfited in 49ers onesies as toddlers. There are plenty amongst the sports fanatics who dread play-by-plays at parties and worry about their job security when everyone is raving about rankings around the proverbial water cooler. ... More >>

Dawg Grog: The Newest Dog Beer Hits the Internet

Nothing beats drinking with your best friend. You could slam shooters with whooping co-workers or squire your gal out for a few birthday Proseccos, but no boozy endeavor approaches a few beers with the only one who really understands you: your witless canine. As reported this week, a brewer in ... More >>

Trend Watch: Down With Communal Tables?

This morning Adam Roberts, aka the Amateur Gourmet. posted an essay comparing communal tables to communism -- nice in theory, he says, not so great in practice. He's not the first -- here on Squid Ink last year, Elina Shatkin penned an op-ed expressing a similar opinion. Roberts offers many reason ... More >>

Deschutes Brewery's L.A. Base Camp Week: Chainbreaker White IPA, The Abyss "Beer-lesque"

Meet Woody. He's a giant towable beer barrel-keg that doubles as an operable bar and comes complete with disco ball, sound system and his own Twitter account. Though the party-on-wheels might be a cutesy promo gimmick for Bend, Oregon's Deschutes Brewery (or the grown-up version of the Oscar Mayer W ... More >>

Top 5 Whiskey Bars: Quality, Value Drinking Scotch and Bourbon Neat

Erika BoldenThe Neat Bar​For the whiskey drinker who is well-learned but not well-earned, we thought we'd find some bars that combine an unyielding selection of quality spirits with great prices. Some perks are cost-related and include irresistible happy hour or free parking, others help you b ... More >>

Top 5 Weekend Food Events: TEDx: Food, Soba Movie Night, Cupcake Challenge, Burger Night, A Cook's Tour to Mexico

Guzzle & NoshAn entrant at a previous Cupcake Challenge.​TEDxSantaMonica The theme at this month's smartypants gathering is food, specifically how local Santa Monicans are transforming their community. After cocktails and mingling, there will be a discussion with chef and radio host Evan Kleim ... More >>

Korean Cheesesteak & Bacon Doughnuts at Cafe Dulce

Cafe Dulce gets plenty of attention for its pourover LAMILL coffee but rarely does a place with such refined and precious caffeine offerings (we're big fans of the cold-brewed ice coffee), deign to try its hand at something as pedestrian as a doughnut. Located in the center of Japanese Village Plaza ... More >>

Top 5 Weekend Food Events: Robert Burns Day, Fresh Pasta Demo, Who's Hungry, Eagle Rock Brewery's 2nd Birthday, German Beer and Food, ROC Diners' Guide Release

Robert Burns Day Celebrate the Ploughman Poet's 253rd birthday (and the Tam O'Shanter's 90th) with bagpipes players, the traditional Slaying of the Haggis and a reading of Robert Burns' famous Address To a Haggis. (We can't help but love a man who wrote an ode to haggis.) The Tam O'Shanter welcome ... More >>

National Pie Day: Pie Popsicles

Last year for National Pie Day, we made a list of the top 10 places to celebrate the holiday. It's still a great list, though it needs a few alterations: The Flying Pie Man has decamped from Los Angeles, The Pie Hole has opened its doors and we've fallen in love with the hand-pies at The Village B ... More >>

What's Cooking in Norway? Bad Hip-Hop [Video]

If you're looking for a Justin Bieber clone who can rap with all the finesse and complexity of a fourth-grader, LidoLido is your boy and "Chop It Up" is your song. The Norwegian teen "hip-hop" "star" (we use both of those words loosely) has channeled his love of "the entire American lifestyle" inclu ... More >>

Top 5 Weekend Food Events: Margarita Dinner, Union des Grands Crus, Meat 101, Soba Workshop, Art Soup Night, DineLA

Margarita Dinner This four-course dinner from executive chef Alex Moreno features a different margarita (made with Don Julio tequila) to complement each dish. The menu includes lobster ceviche, braised pork belly with an artichoke sunchoke ragout and arroz con leche. WHEN: 7 p.m., Thu. Jan. 19 WHER ... More >>

Medlar Tootsie Rolls at Proof Bakery

Guzzle & NoshMedlar rolls at Proof Bakery​Here's a little fuel for the fire of our slow-burning medlar obsession. About a week-and-a-half ago, Proof Bakery in Atwater Village began selling medlar "Tootsie Rolls" made by Jessica Koslow of Sqirl. Made from the ancient and rare fruit (rare in Sou ... More >>

Fried Chicken at Son of a Gun: Sandwich of the Week

[Our 30 Sandwiches in 30 Days series was big -- but not big enough to encompass the multitude of L.A.'s sandwiches. As promised, our weekly sandwich pick extends the odyssey.] Son of a Gun is, for the most part, a seafood restaurant, one where Animal duo Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo give reign to the ... More >>

Master Food Preserver Program Application Deadline

With the resurgence in pickling and preserving, Los Angeles County's revived Master Food Preserver (MFP) program is all the rage. The MFP, which we first reported on back in January, is taking applications for the spring 2012 class. Open to L.A. County residents, the 12-week session covers canning, ... More >>

Wolfgang Puck Employees Reach Settlement

We don't know whether the swans at the recently reopened Hotel Bel Air are unionized, but several other Wolfgang Puck employees resolved a major labor dispute this week. On Tuesday, a judge gave preliminary approval to a $500,000 settlement that resolved claims by nearly 2,000 current and former emp ... More >>

Capriotti's Opens in Torrance

Torrance has a new sandwich shop. Las Vegas-based sandwich chain Capriotti's today opened its first South Bay location -- in Torrance. The chain already has two locations in San Diego, one in Encino and one in Beverly Hills.

Your Dog Wants Beer -- In A Bar

Sure, there are endless beer bars opening in Los Angeles, but how many of them cater to canines? Exactly zero. Finally, a British pub is offering food and beer pairings just for dogs. The Brandling Villa in South Gosforth, Newcastle is "is now serving a special beer designed for dogs so that drink ... More >>

How to Eat BBQ: The Best in Restaurant Signage

That is how you do barbecue, folks. We're not entirely opposed to barbecue sauce, but we are something of a smoked meat minimalist. Deep down in our salty, withered core, we believe when barbecue arrives glopped over with sauce, it's probably to mask a half-hearted rub or the fact that the meat has ... More >>

Soupsmith Soup Truck to Hit the Streets

Courtesy of FrysmithThe Soupsmith truck​Soupsmith, a pop-up soup truck from Frysmith, will roll out later this month -- but only for one week. During the third week of January, Frysmith will "power down the fryers and pull out the stock pots" for a soup-only menu inspired by the flavors in the ... More >>

No Tomatoes! Truck Stolen -- Then Found

How does a half-ton orange food truck go missing? We don't know, but thankfully for the owners of No Tomatoes! (@notomatoestruck), their missing truck has been found. Often spotted in the Miracle Mile neighborhood, the oddly named Indian food truck went missing shortly after Christmas. Yesterday mo ... More >>

Casa Azul Cantina Opening Jan. 2

Wait and wonder no more. Casa Azul Cantina, which replaced Tengu in Westwood, will open on January 2nd. Owned by restaurateur and chef Vicente Del Rio, the man behind the two Frida restaurants (Beverly Hills, Glendale) and Frida Tacos on Melrose, the kitchen will be overseen by executive chefs Orla ... More >>

Delicieuse Closing in Redondo Beach

More sad news at the end of the year: Delicieuse, one of our favorite gelato shops in all of Los Angeles, is closing. The small Redondo Beach store, known for its mild goat's milk ice cream and intense fruit sorbets, will shutter after January 1st.

CBGB Gingerbread House

UnknownCBGB gingerbread house​24, 24 hours to go, we wanna be sedated -- with cookies and sugar. Perhaps we will be if we tear into the most punk rock gingerbread house ever. Didn't think punk and baked goods could go together? Think again. We spotted this gingerbread replica of legendary NYC ... More >>

Epic Meal Time Coming to TV

Epic Meal Time's take on chicken wings.​Web sensation Epic Meal Time is coming to television. The nutty, popular YouTube series featuring epically unhealthy dishes with copious amounts of bacon and sky-high calorie counts will shoot a pilot for G4, reports Perez Hilton.

Cannibalism on Dutch TV: Eating Human Flesh

A shot from the Dutch TV show Proefkonijnen in which the two hosts ate each other's flesh.​Anytime you think American reality TV has stooped so low it can't go any lower, look across the Atlantic for inspiration. Two Dutch TV presenters, Dennis Storm and Valerio Zeno, will eat each other's fle ... More >>

Pastrami at Mezze: 30 Sandwiches in 30 Days (Day 29)

Guzzle & NoshThe pastrami sandwich, served only on Sundays at Mezze.​Los Angeles has a new contender in the pastrami sweepstakes. Something of a dark horse or at least an unknown, it runs a close second to Langer's, the city's undisputed pastrami king. From where does it come? From Mezze, "the ... More >>

Batch Restaurant & Bar Opening in Culver City

Batch: the dinner menu and the interior.​Batch Restaurant & Bar, and "earthy, artisanal" eatery officially opens this Monday in Culver city. Located in the former Sublime Food Lounge space, it features a menu from executive chef Salvador Roldan (Ford's Filling Station) and small-batch, special ... More >>

The Kettle: 30 Sandwiches in 30 Days (Day 27)

Guzzle & NoshThe pot roast dip sandwich at The Kettle.​The Kettle is the sort of upscale neighborhood coffee shop where you might on a typical weekday night find a cross-section of Manhattan Beach society all under the same roof: a longtime couple on date night, a multi-generational family str ... More >>

Daily Dose: 30 Sandwiches in 30 Days (Day 26)

Guzzle & NoshThe Farmer sandwich at Daily Dose.​One of the truly great pleasures of a small cafe or restaurant is being in the presence of people who love what they do. Pop into Daily Dose and you'll likely find co-owner Sarkis Vartanian working the counter. Ask him about the daily sandwich sp ... More >>

SnoBar: Boozy Popsicles = Cocktail of the Future?

SnoBar's Cosmopolitan and Margarita popsicles.​Is the cocktail of the 21st Century destined to be frozen? SnoBar (and every sorority ever and possibly Grant Achatz) hope so. The company (no relation to the SnoBar froyo shop in West Hollywood) rolls out its line of boozy, cocktail-themed popsic ... More >>

Gjelina Take Away: 30 Sandwiches in 30 Days (Day 21)

Wako Donkasu: 30 Sandwiches in 30 Days (Day 19)

Guzzle & NoshThe tonkatsu sandwich at Wako.​Like a supermodel in a burlap sack, some sandwiches, no matter how sloppily presented or haphazardly photographed, sell themselves. Others don't strut into the room. The tonkatsu sandwich at Wako Donkasu isn't ostentatious. It may even look like "the ... More >>

Top 5 Weekend Food Events: Michael Ruhlman, ColLAboration, Irregular Wine Tasting, Tonga Hut Reopening, Pig & Pints

Guzzle & NoshA pint of beer and a pig's head.​[UPDATE, 12.02.11, 4:56 p.m.: This weekend's ColLaboration Winterfest Beer Garden has been postponed due to the Windpocalypse.] In addition to the Master Food Preserver fundraiser happening on Sunday afternoon at Homegirl Cafe, there are plenty of ... More >>

Angeli Caffe: 30 Sandwiches in 30 Days (Day 18)

Guzzle & NoshPanino Rustico at Angeli Caffe​If they were sprinkled with nothing but olive oil, arugula and black pepper, the sandwiches at Angeli Caffe would still be worth devouring. The key is the bread. A Frisbee-sized discus of warm, chewy dough rife with pockets of air, it begs to be torn ... More >>

ink.sack: 30 Sandwiches in 30 Days (Day 17)

While chef fanboys scour the ink. website at 4 a.m. for a coveted reservation at the ultra-hot restaurant, it's comforting to know that us plebes can walk into the sandwich shop next door and get a taste of Michael Voltaggio's cooking with no drama and at a comparatively affordable price point. in ... More >>

Sandwich vs. Burrito: Jason Segel Launches Lunch War

It was a simple Tweet that kicked off the great Sandwich-Burrito War of 2011. Actor Jason Segel, star of the most recent Muppets movie (and Freaks & Greaks, How I Met Your Mother, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, etc.) innocently Tweeted: "Now that Muppets is out I can say the things I've been wanting to. ... More >>

Five Guys: Coming to Miracle Mile, Westwood

Five Guys Burgers and Fries continues its rapid westward expansion, moving from outlying suburbs to denser Los Angeles neighborhoods, with new locations planned for Miracle Mile and Westwood. Though it serves much cheaper burgers at a much lower price point, the Miracle Mile Five Guys at 5500 Wilsh ... More >>

Top 5 Weekend Food Events: Thanksgiving Eve Bourbon, Wild Gourmet Food, Venison Fair, 4 Chefs in One, Holiday Beer Class

Thanksgiving Eve Bash Steady your nerves for a day of family togetherness with a pre-Thanksgiving shindig featuring a traditional Corn Hole Toss and $6 cups of a seasonal punch made with Wild Turkey. ($1 from each glass will be donated to a local shelter.) WHEN: Nov. 23 WHERE: Seven Grand COST: Free ... More >>

Chef Ludo Launches LudoBabyBites Web Series

Scenes from LudoBabyBites.​How does a top-notch chef known for his incredible culinary talents and mercurial temperament feed his own kids? We're about to find out. Chef Ludovic Lefebvre and his wife Krissy, the recent parents of twins, will launch LudoBabyBites, a 12-episode web series desig ... More >>

Kobb Salad Sandwich at Kokomo: 30 Sandwiches in 30 Days (Day 7)

Guzzle & NoshThe Kobb Salad sandwich at Kokomo Cafe.​At this stage of human advancement, it seems like we should have transcended the third slice of bread, the carby interloper that gives the club sandwich its identity and its needless heft. Any element that stands between our mouth and bacon ... More >>

Waffle House, Mayhem, Moles & Terrorism

Marion Post Wolcott / Library of CongressHarvesting oats, southeastern Georgia (ca. 1940)​We can't resist this New York Times story, which not only begins with maybe the paper's weirdest lede ever but also ends with a fantastic quote. The opening: At the Waffle House here, no one can believe ... More >>

Flying Pig Cafe: A Food Truck Gets Its Own Parking Space

F. FriesemaJonagold apples​ You know the Flying Pig truck -- it's the one, run by a Cordon Bleu chef, with the pork-belly buns, the duck tacos with mandarin oranges, the sliders with banana mustard and the peanut-butter carnitas. It's pink; it's cross-cultural; the lines are long. It's also th ... More >>

L.A. Food Bloggers Workout: How They Can Eat Without Guilt

Matthew KangFood bloggers H.C. So (green shirt) and Cathy Chaplin (red shorts) combining their two passions -- food and running -- during a "food marathon."​ When you're as passionate about food as food bloggers are, dieting and counting calories just don't make sense in your world. And thanks ... More >>

No-Cook Recipe: Chilled Momotaro Tomato Salad California Olive Oil

Susan ParkMomotaro Tomatoes from Yatsutomi Farms​ We're not wild about most tomato varieties. We find them either too bland and hard, or too acidic for our tastes. This has been an enduring issue since childhood. But last weekend we bought half a dozen Momotaro tomatoes from Yatsutomi Farms at ... More >>

Freeze-Dried Camping Foods Return: Just in Time To Escape From L.A.

Flickr / United States Marine Corps Official Page​ Shortly after the Fukushima disaster spread fears of a tsunami and radioactive plume hitting the Western United States, panicked buyers cleaned out many retailers of freeze-dried camping foods and left shelves bare at outdoor sports retailers. ... More >>

"Hell's Kitchen" Winner Nona Sivley Starts Today at LA Market

Elina Shatkin"Hell's Kitchen" Season 8 winner Nona Sivley short after her win.​"Hell's Kitchen" Season 8 winner Nona Sivley steps behind the stoves today to start her new gig as chef de cuisine at LA Market, the in-house restaurant/bar at LA Live's JW Marriott. She'll be working with Kerry Sim ... More >>

Sprinkles Debuts German Chocolate Cupcake

Elina ShatkinSprinkles cupcake​There's nothing the least bit German about Sprinkles' newest cupcake, which is as it should be, since the "German" chocolate cake is largely a British/American concoction. Sprinkles' German chocolate cupcake (which officially debuts January 14th but may be avai ... More >>

Dumpling Station Food Truck Launches

Los Angeles has plenty of Thai food, but what about Tai food? Outside of the San Gabriel Valley, it can be hard to find Taiwanese dumplings. Hoping to bring these delicate balls of meat, vegetables, and dough to the masses, Helen Pan, 25, and Chris Aragon, 28, launched the Dumpling Station food truc ... More >>

Canter's Food Truck: Kibitzing in a Neighborhood Near You

Canter's Deli, an institution known as much for its round-the-clock service and its preserved-in-amber ambiance as for its cuisine, just leapfrogged into the year 2010 with a food truck that hits the streets of Los Angeles -- hopefully this week. The Canter's Deli truck (Twitter: @canterstruck) is t ... More >>