Jay Eats Worldwide

Living in Los Angeles, there are a lot of good burger places, such as Umami Burger, Apple Pan, Father's Office, In n Out, etc. One of my favorites places for a burger is Plan Check Kitchen + Bar, headed by chef Ernesto Uchimura.  Chef Ernesto is the former  corporate  executive chef at Umami Burger. One of my favorites... PCB  (Plan Check Burger) with Americanized dashi cheese, ketchup leather, schmaltz onions, and mixed pickles on a crunch bun. Just one of the genius things of this burger is Chef Uchimura's creation of the ketchup leather.  It's housemade ketchup which has been dehydrated (similar to a fruit roll-up). It's placed at the bottom of the burger, preventing the burger juices from getting the bottom bun soggy AND you still get the ketchup flavor, brilliant!  It was a beautiful Los Angeles day, so sitting out on the patio was an easy decision.   See What Jay Eats... ...

I was invited to a Special Stüssy event with some of L.A.'s food elite... (Stüssy , the clothing brand) at Plan Check Kitchen + Bar* 1800 Sawtelle Blvd West Los Angeles Have driven by on Sawtelle, finally got to stop in. It's a great space, love the center table. Executive Chef Ernesto Uchimura created tonight's Special Stüssy menu He's the former Umami Burger Corporate Executive Chef We sat out on the patio and looked over the Special Menu. Everything looked great and even order a dish off the regular menu. It's always fun running into friends and catching up... First up... the appetizers Worldwide Tribe Fries with Chorizo Gravy, Fried Egg, Roasted Pasilla Chile Loved the chorizo gravy and chiles, but not an egg with fries kind of guy... Stuffed Mushroom A Roasted Portobello, Swiss Cheese Fondue, Crispy Kale, Steak Sauce It wasn't part of tonight's menu, but I orde...

C armageddon 2011 Saturday, July 16th West Los Angeles Day 1 What was I thinking by agreeing to meet my client in West LA on Carmageddon? Well, Duty Calls, so we met inside the Hot Zone. At least we could meet in the morning and avoid most of the mess. 10 Freeway heading West 7:30 AM On my way to the meeting site, my business partner called, he's on the 405 heading to WLA and says no traffic and will be early. He took the 405 so he could say he drove on Carmageddon. I too am making good time, no traffic. Freeway Closures in WLA 8:40 AM Lots of Detours on the Westside 8:35 AM Arrived at the meeting site in plenty of time. Had a good 3+ hour meeting and now it was time to eat before heading home. As I drive away, I'm thinking, there's no traffic. Where did everyone go? Tito's Tacos at 1 PM Just South of the 405 Closure When was the last time you saw Tito's this empty on a Saturday at lunch? NEVER! Can you say Twilight Zone? Inside there wasn't a line at al...