(Click for a larger picture.)

Mark Peel of Campanile, The Point and The Tar Pit.
Josiah Citrin of Melisse.
Susan Feniger of Street, Ciudad and Border Grill.
Joachim Splichal of the Patina Group.
Karen Hatfield of Hatfield’s.
Wolfgang Puck.

To listen to any of these chefs would be a pleasure. To hear all six of them speak at the same event? That’s a privilege.

———-

This post was originally going to recap the roundtable and the conversations that took place there – I even took mental notes on specific things each chef mentioned that I wanted to address. However, as you’re probably familiar with my typical lag period, you shouldn’t be surprised that, by the time I got around to actually writing this post, the fine people at DineLA had already posted a video of the entire event online. (Oops.)

Well, since the job of recapper is no longer necessary (*whew!*), I’m going quickly cover the parts I enjoyed most about this whole roundtable.

- I’ve always loved listening to successful people tell the story about their life. There’s something so intriguing about hearing about them before they made it big, whatever trials or tribulations they may have gone through, and seeing where they are now. Wolfgang Puck is no exception – he could have been on that stage by himself, speaking for the entire hour and I would have been perfectly happy.

My favorite Wolfgang story of the night was the one about how he got started in the restaurant business. (Start at 14:10 in the video. Watch it – I’m not gonna recap it for you!) Imagining little 14-year old Wolfgang being told he was good for nothing and then seeing him in person on stage now, governing his empire…It’s surreal to hear him tell his story (and probably even more surreal for him to live it).

- As an accountant, I have a rather practical view on life. Thus, I appreciated the concrete advice Joachim gave when asked about starting a new restaurant (at 27:43 in the video). While the chefs prior (Susan, in particular) spoke of passion for their craft, Joachim asked them to think and prepare and…well, basically be a businessman. I may not know much about running a restaurant but I’ve seen this much from my accounting gigs over the years – you can’t run a business on passion alone.

- I found it interesting that, throughout the roundtable, the chefs repeatedly touched upon the abundance of fresh produce in Los Angeles and the appreciation for food. It was especially interesting because, about 2 years prior, I attended a similar event moderated by Jonathan Gold on the topic of California cuisine and remember taking away one thing from that event: California cuisine is the abundance of produce matched with our variety of ethnic influences. At the time, I almost thought that was almost a cop-out answer – “Yes, I know we have great produce but…what else??”, says the girl who has only lived in California and has been surrounded by fresh produce her entire life – but to hear the same talking points two years later made me re-evaluate my original reaction and how I may take California’s strongest assets for granted.

Anyway, as you can tell, the roundtable was a great experience. I had the opportunity to listen to some of my favorite chefs in person and the stories of their lives. Plus, after it was all over, I gorged myself on Starry Kitchen‘s tofu balls and got to take a picture with Susan Feniger! (Woot woot!)

(Picture taken by Julian of Jewelz, What Are We Doing Today?)

I first read about this monstrosity on folie à choisauce, who personally recreated the McGangBang and lived to tell the tale. She even added her mark on the sandwich by adding fries to the mix, and dubbed it the “Killa Kali” McGangBang (i.e. the KKMGB).

From the moment I read that post, I never forgot about the KKMGB…ever. It was like the thought of the KKMGB was lurking in the back of my mind, jumping out whenever a McDonald’s came into sight. Sooner or later, I had to give in.

I wish I could say that I’ve only tried the KKMGB once but, sadly, that’s not the case.
I wish I could claim I was drunk but, sadly, that’s also not the case.
(If this totally kills my credibility as a food blogger, I completely understand.)

My first time was accidental. I was working in the office and had rushed downstairs to grab a quick bite for lunch. Halfway through my meal, I realized I had all the components for a KKMGB. Did I dare? I dared.

My second time was premeditated. Somehow, during a normal conversation at work, I had convinced others to join me in trying the KKMGB. We made plans to build it the following day at lunch, with one slight adjustment: The original McGangBang was based on two items from the $1 menu, coming together to create something worth more than $2. As double cheeseburgers are now $1.19, we agreed to use a McDouble instead to keep that original spirit alive.

($3.19+tax later, I found myself with all the tools to make a KKMGB.)

With a crowd starting to form in the office lunchroom, eyeing our goods and whispering of the events to come, we built our KKMGBs and took a bite. (Yes, I actually ATE it.)

(“What does it taste like…?”)

If McDonald’s had a generic flavor, the KKMGB would taste like that. The flavor of fake chicken was dwarfed by the flavor of burger. It was a little dry and needed more ketchup, some BBQ sauce, or maybe sweet and sour sauce…SOMETHING.

Afterwards, I felt disgusted. I was completely unproductive the rest of the afternoon. We looked up the nutritional facts – 1040 calories, 47 grams of fat. I told myself I wouldn’t eat dinner that night. (Sadly, I did eat again.)

Note to self: I am NOT doing this again.

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FOUR at the Checkers Downtown
- Only offered on the 4th weekday in week (i.e. Thursday).
- Good for 4 hours, from 4-8PM.
- Four drinks at $4 each.
- Four plates at $4 each.
- Eight (not four!) new things to try.
- Even if you order all four drinks and all four plates, you’re still under $40 before tip.

(See why FOUR is my favorite number?)

I was originally going to wait to write this review until I’ve been four times but I just couldn’t wait. Plus, if I’ve been there twice, for two different weeks, and two is halfway to four and…

…Okay. Enough with the math. Let’s get down to the review.

If Checkers served mediocre food and mediocre drinks for $4, FOUR would still be considered a good deal. But, Checkers doesn’t serve mediocre food and drinks – they serve delicious food and well-mixed drinks, which then makes FOUR a great deal. I mean, check out these two menus and tell me this isn’t a great deal…

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FOUR – 4.15.10 – DRINK SPONSOR: OCEAN VODKA

From talking to the bartenders, hard alcohol sponsored nights are more popular than the wine nights, and for good reason – Checkers cocktails are really good. This particular Thursday, I had a refreshing cucumber-mint cocktail and their version of a Salty Dog, my personal favorite for the night.

Typically made with gin and grapefruit juice, this particular drink was made with the sponsored Ocean Vodka instead and included a hint of rosemary as well. I liked the slightly tart, very citrusy grapefruit against the salty rimmed glass.

As for food, my first dish – an endive salad – was very similar to one I had at Craft, with its combination of endive, apple and blue cheese and walnuts.

Dish 2/4: Grilled Caledonian Prawn

Of my second dish, the cara cara orange was my favorite component, adding acidity and brightness. I was also happy to see they left the heads on the three large shrimp (the head is the best part!).

Dish 3/4: Halibut Cheeks in Red Thai Curry Stew

My dining companion and I ordered two of every dish except the halibut, which I began to regret after I had a taste. Described as being in a red Thai curry sauce, the curry was actually quite demure – not at all spicy or overpowering as one would expect – and allowed the fish and vegetables to really shine.

Dish 4/4: Braised Kurobuta Pork Belly

Typically fatty and melt in your mouth tender, the braised pork belly was instead crispy, as if it was fried. I expected this to be my favorite that day, but ended up being my least due to the texture issue.

FOUR – 4.29.10 – DRINK SPONSOR: SUMMERLAND WINERY

Although hard alcohol nights are more popular than wine nights, that’s not to say the wine night’s aren’t good too. Sometimes you just want to swirl a glass of pinot rather than down a martini.

As previously mentioned, FOUR offers four dishes for $4 a piece. This particular day I just wasn’t feeling the second dish on the menu, a white bean soup with chorizo. Therefore, I only ordered the other three.

Dish 1/4: Caledonia Prawn Scampi

The sauce was flavorful but not heavy and the pasta was cooked al dente. It was supposed to pair with the chardonnay (which I also ordered, pictured above) but I enjoyed the food much more than the wine.

Dish 3/4: Maitake Mushroom Toast

The mushroom toast was a little too rich for my taste. The hearty mushrooms would have been enough, but the mushroom butter was almost overwhelming. Additionally, the toast was lost underneath the piles of mushrooms and was slightly soggy from the butter.

Dish 4/4: Pan-seared Sonoma Duck Breast

The duck was my favorite of the four for this week – I ordered two orders. My first order was spot on – the duck was tender, not dry. The dates were huge (and almost looked like medallions of sweet potato). Out of all the dishes, I felt that this one embodied the wine theme the best.

———-

I know some of you are probably still in disbelief. “…Wait, what? High quality for a low price?” Stop pinching yourself, it’s true. Yes, some dishes may be hit or miss but for $4, you really can’t go wrong.

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Checkers Downtown
535 S Grand Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90071
(213) 624-0000
Website: http://checkersdowntown.com/
Twitter: @CheckersDT

(Does that picture look eerily familiar to you…?)

In my opinion, the GCI was remarkably well organized, with different areas sectioned off for free food, food for purchase and the amateur grilled cheese competition. I registered early and made the cut for their “judging society”, which basically meant I could taste as many sandwiches as I could get from the competitors. I had no problem finding food.

There was one problem that I didn’t anticipate though: This time around, I was running solo. I never realized until today, there are two reason the “divide and conquer” strategy works so well at food festivals:

1. You can cover a large number of vendors in a shorter period of time by having each member of the group cover a different vendor.

2. By having a large group, you never eat a full portion. A little taste here, a little taste there – getting full isn’t really a problem.

Back to my original statement: I came to the GCI by myself. I purchased sandwiches, I judged sandwiches, I ate all of those sandwiches BY MYSELF. I ate 6 sandwiches today – no lie. See for yourself…

The Purchased Sandwiches

As previously mentioned, the GCI had vendors with sandwiches available for sale (i.e. from the pros who do this for a living). I tried three of them.

Vendor #1: The Grilled Cheese Truck – Cheesy Mac and Rib Melt

I never tried the Grilled Cheese Truck prior to today, but I’ve heard so much about them (and their long lines). When I got in, there was no line so I figured, “What the hell? I’ll buy one.” I tried their specialty – the cheesy mac and rib melt. It was good, albeit a bit mushy; I ate the whole sandwich anyway.

Vendor #2: Greenspan’s Grilled Cheese – The Champ

Chef Greenspan was my must-try for this year’s invitational. He won the whole thing in 2008 with his short rib and tallegio grilled cheese with apricot caper puree. He sold a similar sandwich at his stand today (minus the short ribs). I can see how it could win – a mix of sweet and salty with tons of cheese…I ate his whole sandwich too.

Vendor #3: Chef Mark Peel – Burrata, Olive Oil & Roasted Tomato sandwich

I wasn’t planning on buying another sandwich (I wanted to save the stomach space for the competition) but the lure of fresh burrata was impossible to resist. Not quite a traditional grilled cheese, the cool burrata and the fresh flavor of the tomatoes were a nice intermission to the heavier sandwiches in the day.

The Competition Sandwiches

After eating all three of my purchased sandwiches, I finally made way to the competition zone where the first heat of competitors were already grilling up a storm. I camped out in front of a couple of entries that I found interesting and was able to eat three more sandwiches before calling it quits for the day.

Competitor #1: Cheese Pancake

It’s a shame I can’t remember much about the ingredients in this entry because it was very good. The batter had cheese mixed in and the whole thing was topped with extra sharp cheddar. It was a very savory dish, reminiscent of Brazilian cheese bread rather than a pancake. Although I enjoyed the dish, the competitor, unfortunately, entered in the “Missionary” category (i.e. strict, traditional sandwiches only made of standard cheese, bread and butter) – I couldn’t rank them very highly. (I wanted to though!)

Competitor #2: Chevre Goat Cheese Ice Cream on a Strawberry Sandwich

I saw this stand setting up 15 minutes before their heat started and was so intrigued by the dish that I camped there until I got one. An entry in the “Honey Pot” category (i.e. a sweet grilled cheese), I was happy that the flavor of the goat cheese was heavily infused into the ice cream. The strawberry cookies surrounding the ice cream were moist and still warm from being lightly toasted just prior to assembly.

Competitor #3: “The Afterburn” with a Fried Egg, Avocado, Tomato and Turkey Bacon.

The heaviest sandwich I tried at the GCI (in weight and in flavor), I was happy I ended the day with this. The egg was actually cooked in a hole in the top layer of bread (i.e. “egg in the hole” style), then set aside for a second while the pre-assembled bottom was placed in the pan. Then the whole thing cooked together to mesh into the ultimate breakfast grilled cheese. The turkey bacon didn’t taste like turkey bacon to me at all – it was hearty and tasted of real meat. The cheese had some stretch to it when you bit into the sandwich. And the egg…I love runny yolks, so that was the cherry on top.

———-

…After that sandwich, I had to go home early for fear that I wouldn’t be able to waddle myself back to the car after a seventh one. That was at 3PM so I didn’t get to hear the winners list – I can’t wait til the results are posted!

Now that I’ve figured out the trick behind food festivals, I’m really enjoying them a whole lot more. The 1st 8th Annual Grilled Cheese Invitational was no exception. I had fun out there today, trying all those grilled cheese sandwiches. Kudos to its organizers – you did well this year!

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I’m Cole’s girl now.

There are so many things I love more about Cole’s than Philippe’s. It’s open until 1:30AM on the weekends, perfect for a late-night bite. The crowd at Cole’s is a little more hip, mainly because of its close proximity to other DTLA hotspots. Cole’s has, not just one bar, but TWO bars (if you include The Varnish). Lastly, Cole’s atomic pickles totally trumps Philippe’s pickles any day, especially when paired with a side of their bacon potato salad.

A spicy crunch…

A smokey bite…

THAT is the combination that I crave late at night.

As for Cole’s French dips, over time I’ve learned to like them. I definitely appreciate the side of au jus, but there are nights I long for Philippe’s sinus clearing mustard. Additionally, their sandwiches aren’t as savory – let’s just say I’ve never craved a Cole’s French dip but I’ve definitely craved a Philippe’s one. However, I find myself at Cole’s on a monthly basis (and Philippe’s?…I can’t remember my last time).

Philippe’s, our time together was sweet while it lasted.
Cole’s, I’ll see you soon.

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Cole’s
118 E 6th St
Los Angeles, CA 90014
(213) 622-4090
Website: http://www.colesfrenchdip.com/