The Ferry Building - San Francisco

If I had all the money in the world, I'd probably go here to shop every day. 

The Ferry Building, an indoor market celebrating fresh farmers produce and specialist local artisan producers, resulting in what can only be described as the ultimate foodie dream. 

The Cowgirl Creamery is heaven for a cheese lover like me. Since 1997, The Cowgirl Creamery have built quite a circle of awarding winning cheese making pals, bringing the very best in cheesesto people like me.

Every other shop is as specialist as the last, this is a perfect place to buy those hard to find ingredients, like dried black trumpets.

Well worth a visit.

San Francisco's most well known farmers' market is also held there on Saturdays from 8 am to 2 pm, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 am - 2pm 

The Grilled Cheese Truck

After a trip to The Grilled Cheese Truck you'll find yourself asking, what was life before bacon aioli?

I first heard about The Grilled Cheese Truck through LATimes Food twitter. It was a close call between this here truck and the institution that is In and Out burger when contemplating what I would bring back to London if I could (despite rumors, In and Out Burger have not confirmed any plans to expand into the UK just yet)

Driving 25 miles from Silverlake to Redondo Beach through the famous LA rush hour traffic may seem a bit crazy, especially if you compare it to driving from London to Welling Garden City for what is essentially a cheese toastie. 

Arriving at The Gasser Lounge, a blacked out dive bar on Aviation Blvd where The Grilled Cheese Truck was set up for the evening, greeted with a queue to rival MEATliquor on a Friday night. The queue is perfect time to study the menu and decide wisely.

 

The Wednesday chicken and waffle special had sold out, instead I turn to the Pepperbelly melt made up of spicy habanero jack cheese, homemade chilli, crunchy fritos, fire roasted salsa and cilantro lime sour cream on a jalapeno and cheddar bread. This melt was just the right balance of real cheesy-ness and intense burning spice. The fritos (American version of Wotsits)crunch stood up well to the cheesy chilli moistness.

We also ordered their signature melt, The Fully Loaded Cheesy mac and Rib with house smoked BBQ pork + caramelized onions and  cheddar. This was just as buff as it sounds.

The half sack of tater tats, which are like homemade deep fried potato croquettes sprinkled with sea salt, went perfectly with the crispy bacon aioli and the sweet and sour homemade pickles were the ultimate additions to the cheesy melts.

Each melt was packaged up nicely in one these foil pouches, good for keeping half to eat the next morning when your eyes are bigger than your belly.

 

Palm Restaurant - West Hollywood, Los Angeles

Larry: I think I am just going to get a Cobb Salad. I'd like to make a few substitutions, if that's OK. I'll get... no bacon. No eggs. Blue cheese on the side. 

Cliff Cobb: Are you sure you want a Cobb Salad? Do you do that every time you order that salad? 

Larry: Do you have a problem with it? 

Cliff Cobb: It's my grandfather's salad. I'm a Cobb of Cobb salad fame. 

Larry: I think that this is a real bullshit story. 

(Curb Your Enthusiasm, Season 2 Episode 3) 

There are, of course, various tales of how the famous salad was invented, one in particular says that it came about in the 1930s at the Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant, where it became a signature dish named after the owner, Robert Howard Cobb. The Cobb salad is traditionally made from chopped salad greens,tomato, crisp bacon, boiled or roasted chicken breast, hard-boiled egg, avocado,chives, red-wine vinaigrette and Roquefort cheese.

First night in LA. Jet-lagged. Craving a steak. We were pointed in the direction of the Palm restaurant in West Hollywood, famed for their steak and lobster selection. This wasn't a bad choice. 

Nova Scotia Lobster Cobb Salad - 6 ounces of Nova Scotia lobster meat, iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, green beans, bacon, avocado, sharp cheddar and egg tossed in garlic vinaigrette. 

So not a traditional Cobb salad, but yum nevertheless. Could have done with less egg and more cheese, but i guess i'd say that about most things. 

Excellent service, and the waiter was so kind as to point me in the direction of a large glass of chilled Californian Riesling and pack up the salad for me to take back to my hotel and eat in the morning, no part of me was prepared to let a $40 salad to to waste. 

 See, fresh as a daisy.

9001 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA, 90069

Celebratory Chinese

When a pal gets a sick new job we tend to celebrate with a bit of everything from the Chinese take away stall on Argyle Street, Oxford Circus