Posts Tagged ‘DTLA

10
Nov
19

Preux and Proper “The South’s Best Fried Chicken”

By billybennight Leave a Comment
Categories: Fine Food and Dining, Lifestyle and Travel and Photography
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Sammy and Josh at the South City Fried Chicken Lunchtime Pop-up at Preux & Proper. All Photos ©Billy Bennight

We all gathered for an afternoon feast with some 20ish media folks, upstairs at Preux & Proper, to explore the “Southside Fried Chicken” Pop-up menu introducing the new Preux and Proper’s lunchtime menu option in a glorious way.

The new menu picks up its references from all the goodness from “Southside Fried Chicken” inside the charming atmosphere of Preux and Proper. It is the celebration of all things that are “Fried Chicken” and then some.

The Austin

Joshua Kopel and Samuel Monsour were both on hand to introduce, serve and share the food and their ideas about the “Southside Fried Chicken” menu. what soon followed a mixed dazzling blitzkrieg of marvelous chicken options. All of these options were served up with Preux and Propers Fried Pickles and Mac & Cheese. The sandwiches offered were the Austin, the Nashville, the Greenville, the New Orleans, and the Chapel Hill. The chicken plates and salads all delivered in glorious fashion along with the sandwiches that included Chicken & Waffles, Nashville Hot, Whole Fired Game Hen, Louisville Slugger, Crispy Dr. Pepper Wings, Chicken Bacon Cobb, and Pop’s Chop. It was a delirious hour and a half to eat all of these tantalizing takes on fried chicken and the race was on!

All of the food was exquisitely plated and was a treat for the eyes. The sandwiches were bigger than life and portioned to satiate the hungriest of souls. All these menu options were amazing but for me, I found the Austin, Nashville, Chapel Hill, Crispy Dr. Pepper Chicken Wings, the Chicken & Waffles, Whole Fired Game Hen and the Chicken Bacon Cobb salad eyeball rolling good.

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Sammy and Josh during quieter moments shared their processes of sustainability and locally sourced ingredients from family farms that are the backbone of Preux and Proper’s ethical process in meal preparation. Sammy has started an herb garden upstairs that can be easily accessed to optimally use fresh ingredients in his culinary creations. They dry and pickle their own fruit and vegetables. They make their own chicken bacon on-premises too. When Sammy spoke he referenced their approach to diminishing their carbon footprint. In the last 2 years, they have reduced the restaurant’s waste by 80% by composting by. Josh believes is an ethical workplace for the workers by offering discounts for their workers and families while making healthcare a priority for those who invest their time in Preux and Proper’s dreams. Josh expressed he and Sammy want a great restaurant but they want their restaurant to be a great place to work at too.

The feasting continued for with a few additional dishes to taste and I/we sampled a few of the cocktails we missed on the last tasting for a little mid-day relaxation. When Sammy feeds you he goes big and leftovers were abundance. We boxed the goodies to dine later and to carry on the “Feel Goods” into the next day from this exciting “Southside Fried Chicken” lunch menu curtesy of Preux and Proper. Now you can kick your lunch game up a notch or two to make DTLA lunch more of an event!

Chicken and Waffles at South City Fried Chicken Lunchtime Pop-up at Preux & Proper.

01
Oct
19

Sammy’s Cookout Every Thursday at Pruex & Proper

By billybennight Leave a Comment
Categories: Art, Entertainment and Culture, Beer, Wine and Spirits, Event, Fine Food and Dining, Lifestyle and Travel and Party
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Preux & Proper located on Spring Street in a unique DTLA spot at the end of LA’s Art District and at the beginning of the Fashion District, between 8th and 9th, and is known for offering NOLA inspired dining in a beautiful and cozy atmosphere reminiscent of a space you’d find in the Frech Quarter. Preux and Proper’s already impressive menu is expanding into a slightly new direction by offering something particularly inspired and delicious. Every Thursday Preux & Proper will feature Sammy’s Cookout that will be taking an elevated approach home-style cooking in wondrous eye-popping ways. “Sammy’s Cookout” will be offered every Thursday from 4 pm to 10 pm for your dining pleasure.

Our preview of Sammy’s Cookout orchestrated by Executive chef Sammy Monsour started with a variety of cocktails to wet the whistle and soothe the soul with libations like the Alabama Slammer and the Texas Two-Timer. Before the dinner was served I settled at the bar in the upper room but not before I ran into Joshua Kopel who was handling a sizzling pan of Marie’s Mac & Cheese. It was apparent he already engaged in the spirit of the evening’s festivities. After our brief conversation, I settled at the center of the bar. It’s a nice long bar with a comfortable view of the whole upstairs area. There’s plenty of dining space that overlooks both Spring and Main Streets from the top. Due to Preux & Proper architecture, it’s easy to walk from side to side to view either street at your leisure and looking south you can see both streets merge into the Los Angeles cityscape. The waite staff was fun and friendly as I slid in to sip on two Alabama Slammers. These concoctions were marvelous and have a considerable punch to them.

As the upstairs had filled with foodie influencers and journalists, we were all encouraged to find a place for the feast that laid before us. I had joined Elise  Thompson and Bob Lee for a bit of chitchat at the bar before we settled but it so happened someone had taken a key seat where we couldn’t dine together at a table. So I was flying solo. After I settled I noticed somethings were already laid out on the table when I returned to my spot.

The watermelon and cucumber salad, the Spam fries with spicy pineapple ketchup and Ritz crackers with pepper jelly and pimento cheese spread were waiting there for the taking. All beckoning to us in their colorful splendor. The watermelon cucumber salad was fresh and intoxicating with their light crispy textures. Both major elements (watermelon and cucumber) mingled in with the Thai basil, mint, cilantro, macadamia-coconut crumbles, California extra virgin olive oil, lime & smoked sea salt with ecstatic results. The watermelon didn’t dominate and the other elements made it a fresh and lively surprise. It was delicious guilt-free moment in eating. I was most curious about the spam fries because I’m not a big spam fan. I found that they had the consistency of potato fries and the sweet dipping sauce was very complimentary. They were kind of addictive when mixing them with the spicy pineapple ketchup given their light crunchy exterior and soft spammy interior. The Ritz crackers with pepper jam and pimento cheese were snacky madness at it’s best.

The next course, we were presented with the Cast Iron Cornbread (Kentucky sorghum, cracked white pepper, butter), Baked Mac & Cheese (orecchiette pasta, scallions, turbodog ale, Cabot extra sharp cheddar), and Colorado lamb ribs (Jamaican jerk, central barbecue’s sweet heat wing sauce, Nate’s pickled watermelon rind) were followed by the masterfully made 18-hour bone-in pork shoulder with 5 regionally distinct barbecue sauces. The 18-hour bone-in pork shoulder sat before us was the culinary ne plus ultra of the evening with its luminance steamy presence dominating the center of our table and my foodie desires.

Continue reading ‘Sammy’s Cookout Every Thursday at Pruex & Proper’

29
Jun
19

Mezcalero’s New Drink Menu: It will Delight the taste buds and feed the soul!

By billybennight Leave a Comment
Categories: Party and Uncategorized
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Mezcalero has been an exciting addition on Broadway in DTLA for a couple of years now. It’s gained a reputation for its exceptional take on bar food and its adventurous drink program focusing mezcal from the beginning with all the blessed fruits of the agave plant. Mezcalero’s beverage director Nathan McCullough has reshuffled the cocktail menu for Spring and Summer with new exciting new takes on the mezcal inspired cocktail by incorporating clever foodie ideas and birthing them into fascinating beverage choices that shortcircuit the idea of food and drink as being 2 different things.  The question arises  “Do you drink it or eat it?”

Yes, his new mixes are still beverages and they are crafted in marvelous new combinations. For the presser, I (we) sat down and did the hard work of sipping and tasting these new concoctions. No tasting is complete without a few yummy bites to activate the palette. We all shared the mandatory chips, salsa, and guacamole before we ordered our food. My food choices were the Carne Asada taco (salsa verde, onion, and cilantro) and the Braised Tinga taco (braised chicken, onion, tomato and chipotle). Each was a delight as sips and bites intermingled as every new beverage was served.

The first of the 2 tasting rounds arrived  that included “Tig Bitty Fresca”, “Shady Cricketry”, ‘Cheesus Take the Wheel” “Salty Affair” and the “Maria Concita”. Tig Bitty Fresca was a light and lively, a sweet delight, while Shady Cricketry was darker earthy umami owed its flavor to the use of “Chapulin”, real crickets, infused mezcal to the drink. Cheesus Take the Wheel sung deliciously all the way through and was a wonderful flavor surprise of Spanish goat cheese, cheese without the farm – no gaminess and pure enduring cheese satisfaction! Salty Affair paid homage to carnitas in a pickle back way with its a saline tip of the hat to pork and peppers dotted with swimming peppercorns that zested up the drink. Maria Conchita was as delightful and it was delicious set in what looks like a terracotta pear cup is fruity fresh and wild with a lively tropical zing.

Continue reading ‘Mezcalero’s New Drink Menu: It will Delight the taste buds and feed the soul!’

27
Jun
19

A Ramona Otto Retrospective “Do These Stripes Make me Look Political?”

By billybennight Leave a Comment
Categories: Event
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Assemblage Artist Ramona Otto‘s Solo Show “Do These Stripes Make me Look Political? – A Retrospective” has arrived in the Los Angeles Fine Arts Building in DTLA. The Los Angeles Fine Arts Building in DTLA is the perfect environment to enjoy Romona Otto‘s patriotically inspired assemblage approach to art that captures the American spirit as Independence Day approaches for the 4th of July. “Do These Stripes Make me Look Political?” is nestled in the vestibule of the ornate Romanesque Revival architecture of Los Angeles Fine Arts Building also known as “Global Marine House” that was built in 1926. Otto’s 12 pieces will be easily available for public viewing inside this designated Los Angeles Historical-Cultural Monument beyond the 4th.

As Otto puts it, “When I grew up on a farm in Iowa in the 1950s, the American flag was a powerful symbol. I remember the pride we all felt when leading the daily Pledge of Allegiance at Washington #4, the country school a mile from my house…Today, it is often difficult for people to listen to and understand one another. I am nostalgic for conversations that end with a smile and ‘Let’s agree to disagree. Now, where shall we eat lunch?”

“Do These Stripes Make me Look Political?” captures the best sentiments of our country’s ideals by assembling various and assorted pieces like photos, stamps, toys, extracted pieces of printed materials, utilizing a dollhouse as a canvas and more, reflecting on Old Glory and our country’s historic values. Otto’s unique approached to uniting these different objects captures the nostalgia, earnestness, and hope of what America has been and will be to us all again. Otto extracts these pieces, these found objects and assembles them to reflect the iconography of patriotism and national pride by recontextualizes these snippets and pieces that acknowledge there is unity in diversity using both patterns and colors that binds us all together as one. Otto’s retrospective sets the right tone for the upcoming celebration of the 4th of July with an eye on the simplicity of color and form that binds us together.

Ramona Otto’s “Do These Stripes Make me Look Political?” will be on view in the Global Marine House’s lobby through July 7th at 811 West 7th Street, Los Angeles.

28
May
19

Party Party Party: Monday to Monday!

By billybennight Leave a Comment
Categories: Entertainment, Event, Music, Party and Punk Rock
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All Right Reserved Billy Bennight Photography

Living in LA has its advantages and this week here’s my accounting of cool things that happened. I’m a big fan of being active during the week because it offers smaller crowds, eliminates amateurs and offers greater intimacy with new acquaintances and friends alike. The larger the event the less promising the possibilities has been my experience. This will be a regular occurring write up in my Extravagant Behavior blog.

Monday found me at the Residence of  Belgium for drinks and bites mixed with a cultural and history lesson from the Consul General of Belgium, Henri Vantieghem, sponsored by The Los Angeles Press Club. The dress recommended for the evening was “Smart Casual” and I found myself in Hancock Park outside the residence with a smart look around 5 pm. Henri welcomed all of us in a formal and cordial way. He spent roughly 20 minutes informing us of the interesting history that precipitated the state of Belgium and offered highlights on what makes his country unique in European history.

After his insightful and enlightening talk, we were all invited to the garden and pool area of the residence for beautifully presented light bites and beverages that reflect Belgian culture and tastes. From the bar, I chose the Chimay presented in a Chimay branded glass that gave a beer drinkers thrill. The was a cauliflower and almond soup presented in a shot glass, baked mussels with herbs and tasty brazed steak cubes. I had a number of interesting discussions with various attendees where I languidly moved from porch to poolside. On my second visit to the bar, I happened to run into Mario-Max Prinz Zu Schaumburg-Lippe as I was about to order my next Belguin beer. It had been a while since I saw him last. We engaged in pleasantries and our mutual interest in red carpet events. Of course, Prince Mario-Max is often on the other side and the subject of the red carpet step and repeat activities. After that, I returned to my poolside table to continue my talk about men with women. There are opinions and secrets women will share with a sympathetic male that most men will never hear because they are too busy being “men” being. Often while being “men” they never negotiate subtle and nuanced conversations well and rarely take other’s feelings or thoughts into consideration. For a while, we enjoyed fresh air at dusk for a fleeting hour. It was a satisfying end in this phase of my evening.

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My next move was to the private media parté at HATCH Yakitori + Bar at The Bloc in DTLA for some progressive Japanese cuisine. I arrived in my Lyft to the side of the main entrance of The Bloc. There’s this staircase you can slip through and descend via an escalator HATCH Yakitori that ovoids prying eyes for a discreet entrance and exodus from the establishment. I arrived in a quiet seductive manner and the festivities were in full swing when checked in. Inside it was crowded, buzzy and energized with foodie frivolities with bites and beverages, cameras and phones mounted to capture moments to flood the eyes with food ecstasy and cocktail provocations. Over at the end of the bar was Executive Chef Daniel Shemtob, under amber heat lamps, with torch in hand searing the special A5 Nigiri Wagyu Beef on a bed of sticky rice. Chef Daniel set ablaze those tasty morsels of expensive and beautifully marbled Japanese beef for everyone who made it to this grand performance of culinary excellence nestled at The Bloc in DTLA. Fire, food, and libations dominated the rest of my evening that included these menu items: Hamachi, Avo Tuna Toast, Agedashi Tofu, Black Karaage Chicken, Chicken Meatball with Egg Yolk Stick, Thigh and Green Onion Stick, Mushroom Party Stick, Pee Wee Potato Stick, and Pork Belly Stick. These delicious bites were paired off with a curated Sake List, selected premium Japanese Whiskeys, and various Japanese Beers. Of all of these goodies, I had the Chicken Meatball with Egg Yolk Stick, Mushroom Party Stick, Pork Belly Stick, and A5 Nigiri Wagyu Beef. These bites were interspersed with cocktail moments like the Matcha Highball, Mangorita and 2 different shots of Saki: one was unfiltered in a pearl-ish white and the other clear. Both were not aged and were delicious. The Chicken Meatball with Egg Yolk Stick was pure Japanese ecstasy and A5 Nigiri Wagyu Beef “TDF”! Towards Chef Daniel shared his thoughts and aspirations for HATCH Yakitori and the experience he hoped people would enjoy when coming to drink and dine there.

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More After the Break

Continue reading ‘Party Party Party: Monday to Monday!’

06
Jul
11

Nervous Gender, The Dead Beats and Human Hands at the Bluestar

By billybennight Leave a Comment
Categories: Entertainment, Event and Music
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What was once the avant-garde is now the old garde but this doesn’t diminish the heat that Nervous Gender can generate as they proved last Saturday night when capping the night off with a line  up of bands that included: The Deadbeats and Human Hands. While Kraftwerk may have started the synthesizer movement , it must be said, Nervous Gender gave synthesizer music teeth. The bite Nervous Gender brought to the music arena defined what is now considered Synthpunk, Queercore and is foundational to what would be considered Industrial/Industrial Dance music today. I caught Nervous Gender for the first time at the Part TIme Punks Music Festival in 2008. I had wanted to see them for years and I was joyous to finally lock them in that night. I was impressed by their performance and gratified to finally hear such a legendary LA Punk play live.

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I’ve seen many shows at the Blue Star downtown. It’s a diner with tasty beers on tap and caters to the alternative/Punk crowd. After all it is a perfect fit. A bar on the inside with table seating to keep it on the DL and then there’s the outside patio with seating, a grill and a stage. A bit like the Echo patio but it’s a diner with big glass widows so you don’t miss any of the action. In other words you can view the band from the bar! For this night and for this line up brought out the nucellus, the core of the core, of the late 70’s and 80’s Los Angeles Punk Rock scene. Some in attendance was were Henry Peck, Lisa Riley, Lisa Murry, Bert Ferguson, Josie Roth, Debora Ballantine Ballabio, Ronald Schnier, Duchess De Sade and of course all the band member and a host of others churning in the midst of the Blue Star patio.

I had made it in time to catch Human Hands’ performance. A band that Bruce Licher of Savage Republic had release through his IPR Label (Independent Project Records) during the 80’s. I had produced and promoted a concert featuring Savage Republic at Backdoor at SDSU and this connection with Bruce Licher of Savage Republic and IPR introduce me to both Human Hands and Camper Van Beethoven. Human Hands was another band that I hadn’t caught traction on the first time around and I was eager to see them.  Thankfully, they were up first. Human Hands are a Punk band of guitars and rhythm section, that is more of a product of late 70’s sensibilities that don’t closely relate to Southern California’s early 80’s Hardcore scene. Thinking of Human Hands’ they are closer to Richard Hell and the Voidoids’ Blank Generation, than to Black Flag’s Rise Above. The crowd had gone from laid back to pumped as Human Hands mounted the stage. They delivered a beefy set that kept everyone on their toes engaged and dancing. They closed out the their set with “Sensible Guy” though there were calls for more of what was rocking the crowd.

The Deadbeats followed and the crowd became even more excited with this seminal Los Angeles Punk Rock band. As I fell back and listened I realized, they were more closely associated with the likes of Wall of Voodoo or Oingo Boingo. Quirky riffs, odd time signatures with stilted vocalizations and phrasing. The Deadbeats were a good fit for Nervous Gender. They blended well as a style bridge between them and Human Hands. They were somewhere in the middle of both bands styles.

Nervous Gender was on last, under the dark canopy of a midnight sky wrapped in stage lighting on Bluestar’s patio. After a steady stream of seminal LA Punk Rock we were now to be treated to a band as bedrock in importance as that of say, Tomato Du Plenty’s Screamers. Edward Stapleton dressed in black and with a more filled out band than any previous incarnation of Nervous Gender, I have seen, hit the stage like a prowling caged tiger. That is no surprise since they are a seminal Punk Rock ensemble. The set was tight as Edward and crew launched in to song after song of an eight song set. Starting off with “Monster”. Delivering the coup de grâce with “Fat Cow” that would put in Kraut Industrial Rocker to a test for authenticity and pedigree. Edward delivered till the very end, utilizing all the musical energy of Nervous Gender had in its reserve with inspired angst killed it by leveling the audience with “Gestalt”. The aftermath was a crowd that got what they came for and left happily after passing through the turbine like nexus of Nervous Gender’s raw delivery of angst driven Proto-Synthpunk.

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