Wurstkuche Venice Beach
We discovered Wurstkuche in Los Angeles through a great Huffington Post article showcasing Zagat's best single item focused menus in America. It is important to note that I found the article through a friend, Neel Sengupta, partner in Crepe Revolution here in Smyrna/ Vinings. They made this short list for their tasty crepes. If you haven't tried their great specialties or one of their wine or beer nights you should! They offer a laid back atmosphere with high end flavors.
Now back to Wurstkuche, after reading the article, my mouth was watering to try all of these great spots. I was excited to know my in-laws were also eager to try their city's contributor. Driving through Venice, you could easily pass this place among the bike shops, boutiques and bars, but once you head inside, the space certainly stands out. The room is a rough and rustic combination of barn wood panels and smooth concrete. The front counter gleams full of their selection of about 20 types of house made sausages. What caught my eye however were the numerous taps running the length of the room. Not only do they sell gourmet sausages prepared in inventive ways, along with sides of thick cut Belgian fries, they have about 20 beers on tap, and many more in bottles. I was in heaven. It was hard to choose, but I decided on the mango and jalapeno chicken sausage served on a soft toasted bun with caramelized onions and hot pickled peppers and nice cold Houblon Chouffe.
Lucky for me my family members all ordered a variety of sausages. I sampled everything from the duck with bacon and jalapenos to the traditional bratwurst. Each sausage had a distinct flavor and style. I am envious of my in-laws proximity to this little gem. Now I have one more reason to love LA.
Now back to Wurstkuche, after reading the article, my mouth was watering to try all of these great spots. I was excited to know my in-laws were also eager to try their city's contributor. Driving through Venice, you could easily pass this place among the bike shops, boutiques and bars, but once you head inside, the space certainly stands out. The room is a rough and rustic combination of barn wood panels and smooth concrete. The front counter gleams full of their selection of about 20 types of house made sausages. What caught my eye however were the numerous taps running the length of the room. Not only do they sell gourmet sausages prepared in inventive ways, along with sides of thick cut Belgian fries, they have about 20 beers on tap, and many more in bottles. I was in heaven. It was hard to choose, but I decided on the mango and jalapeno chicken sausage served on a soft toasted bun with caramelized onions and hot pickled peppers and nice cold Houblon Chouffe.
 |
| Tasty Lunch |
Lucky for me my family members all ordered a variety of sausages. I sampled everything from the duck with bacon and jalapenos to the traditional bratwurst. Each sausage had a distinct flavor and style. I am envious of my in-laws proximity to this little gem. Now I have one more reason to love LA.
Travel Post- Winding Down 2009 in Los Angeles
I am trying to keep my resolution to post more frequently. Meanwhile I have been stockpiling great dining experiences to share with you. So indulge me as I recap the fabulous food of Southern California.
I took a quick trip to LA for New Years, and was guided through a series of culinary treats. From cheap fast food to high end dining, LA has alot to offer for a Southern girl on her first visit!
Day 1: In-N-Out Burger This West Coast tradition is fantastic, with juicy grilled burgers featuring carmelized onions and the crispiest fries I have eaten at this style of drive thru. My friends make it a family tradition to go there when someone new comes to town. I was pleased they showed me the ropes.
Day 2: Yamashiro I was treated to an amazing meal with an outrageous view of downtown LA. This restaurant has a fantastic history in LA. To quote their web site, "Yamashiro means “Mountain Palace” in Japanese. It was the dream of the Bernheimer brothers in 1911 to build a hilltop mansion 250 feet above Hollywood Boulevard." From this hilltop replica of a Japanese palace, you can see all of downtown LA. The seating is terraced to maximize the view through the glass walls. For those who are tired of the view the courtyard features an indoor/ outdoor garden and koi pond. The food was delicious. A perfect blend of high end California cuisine with traditional Japanese flavors. We started with perfect martinis and the Kurobuta Pork Carnitas. This meat melted in your mouth and was served with ascallion-risotto cake, hoisin reduction, and honey-mustard sauce. For my entree, I had the Loch Duart Miso Salmon this was served with asparagus, preserved-lemon smashed potatoes, fried capers, and a miso cream sauce. I cannot rave enough about the lemon massed potatoes. I have been searching the web for this recipe since arriving home.
I took a quick trip to LA for New Years, and was guided through a series of culinary treats. From cheap fast food to high end dining, LA has alot to offer for a Southern girl on her first visit!
Day 1: In-N-Out Burger This West Coast tradition is fantastic, with juicy grilled burgers featuring carmelized onions and the crispiest fries I have eaten at this style of drive thru. My friends make it a family tradition to go there when someone new comes to town. I was pleased they showed me the ropes.
Day 3: Phillipe The Original is the self tauted creator of the French Dip sandwich. Founded in 1908 it is one of the oldest restaurants in Southern California. As the story goes the sandwich was "invented" when one of the servers dropped a roast beef sandwich into a vat of the broth. The customer said they would take it anyway and the rest is "history". First of all this place is intimidating to newcomers, if you are from Atlanta think Varsity on game day. The crowd was huge, basically you fight your way to the front of one of 20 or so lines and place your order. While you wait the smell of roasted meat permeates the air. They have so many choices, beef, lamb, turkey, and pork. Our table tried it all. We sampled their pickled (not deviled) eggs, and a side of slaw. The sandwiches were heavenly. The meat was perfectly flavorful leaving no need for and condiments except for the au jus. We had our sandwiches double dipped to get the most out of our French Dip experience. The crusty French bread could handle the moisture and stayed perfectly crisp on the outside and warm and soft on the inside. The roast beef is the traditional, but for me the lamb took the cake. If you are willing to find your way, and face the crowd, this is certainly worth a try.
Dessert: Fosselmans Ice Cream Co. was rated by the Guardian among other publicationsas the best in the world for milkshakes. They were founded in 1919 and hold onto the old fashioned ice cream shop mentality. They have all the standard flavors like butter pecan and mint chocolate chip and some new ones like dark chocolate raspberry. After a dinner of pizza we headed over to sample the best. How can you not go there when its the best in the world and right down the street. I will have to agree with the hype. The consistancy, flavor, and selection of the milshakes was fantastic. The store was no frills. We tried so many flavors. I stuck with the simple strawberry which featured real strawberries so often lacking in other milkshakes. This is a little out of the way in LA, but in a city of highways certainly worth the stop.
I am looking forward to my next trip back to LA. I have not even begun to explore all of the food this city has to offer.