Restaurant Review #247: Loteria! Grill, LA Farmer's Market, La Brea

The first time I went to the LA Farmer's Market, I didn't try Loteria! Grill. $3 for a taco? Give me a break!

It's true--I have been spoiled by $1 tacos at cheap San Fernando Valley taquerias. But I regretted skipping the opportunity to try a restaurant I've repeatedly heard good things about. So on my second visit to the LA Farmer's Market, Loteria! was my first stop.

Nothing excites me

Restaurant Review #246: Bob's Donuts, LA Farmer's Market

Located at the LA Farmer's Market at Third and Fairfax, Bob's Donuts is an institution. I noticed it because of its vintage storefront and couldn't resist the promise of the best donut in LA.


I ordered a glazed donut because a) it's my favorite and b) the glazed donut should be the litmus test for any donut shop.



While my glazed donut was good, it wasn't any better than the donuts I can

Restaurant Review #242, Little Spain Restaurant, LA Farmers Market, La Brea

Croquetas de Jamon

At Little Spain Restaurant, a stall at LA Farmer's Market, I enjoyed the best croquettes I've eaten since I lived in Spain. They were fried up to order, served hot enough to burn my mouth (which is how I like my food). Unlike most croquettes, the inside was actually moist, not dried out. The fries were soggy and unnecessary, however.






Little Spain Restaurant
6333 West

Restaurant Review #207: Maru, Valencia

A request to try Maru on the house was an invitation I couldn't refuse, and thank goodness I made the trek to the northernmost edge of Los Angeles's suburbs. Even if the meal hadn't had eight indulgent, generously sized courses (per person!) and even if it hadn't been free, my meal at Maru still would have been one of the best I've ever eaten.



Maru resides in Valencia

Restaurant Review #205: Desserts at Patina, Downtown Los Angeles

Champagne Mousse, citrus salad, puff pastry, tangerine sorbet, mint pearls

When I was invited to Patina by a PR firm representing Ian Gresik, Patina's pastry chef, I couldn't have been happier. We scheduled our dessert tasting for 8:00 on a Saturday. Unlike most restaurants in Los Angeles, Patina was relatively empty at that hour, which is probably because much of their business comes from pre-

Restaurant Review #174: Maker Nights at Cube

Lamb shanks with port wine reduction and crispy pan-seared Wisconsin Sheep Dairy mona polenta

Cube is part gourmet shop and part restaurant. In addition to an extensive cheese collection, they also sell all sorts of gourmet honeys, crackers, olive oils, and other delicacies, as well as the full line of Divine Pasta Company products (which you may have seen at Whole Foods). Cube's mission is to