Italian for the Italians

Lady of the lake: Locanda del Lago's pizza margherita fresca

Cabbage patch: pizzocheri alla Valtellinese

Say cheese plate: (from left) Taleggio, Pecorino Toscano, and Montasio

Yet another good, authentic Italian restaurant to add to our burgeoning list, Locanda del Lago (231 Arizona Ave.) is an island of relative tranquility amid the bustle of Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade, which these days is swelling with Italian tourists looking for, well, Italian food. (Would it kill them to try something new?) Differently from Pecorino and Da Pasquale, Locanda offers dishes from Italy’s north, specifically Lombardy, whose fare tends to be meatier and cheesier than its southern counterparts. On this visit, we knew we wanted to try the pizza, which we had repeatedly spotted and longed for as we passed by the outdoor tables on our way to other destinations. Like other memorable pizzas we have had lately, Locanda’s boasts a thin, crisp crust, but unlike the others, it has a solid layer of mozzarella and chopped Roma tomatoes instead of a red sauce, like an ultra-refined prototype of a New York-style pie. The result tastes as great as it looks. Our other main dish was pizzocheri alla Valtellinese, featuring hearty buckwheat pappardelle tossed in a surprisingly delicate buttery sauce of garlic, Savoy cabbage, Yukon potatoes, Bitto cheese (a specialty of the region), and sage leaves. For dessert we started with a divinely dense and creamy semifreddo bursting with pistachio flavor and encircled by a ring of sweet, fruity compote. Eager for more, we assembled a plate pairing savory cheeses with complementary sweets. These included mild Montasio with bing cherry marmalade; ripe, soft Taleggio with mostarda di Cremona, a candied, subtly mustardy fruit preparation; Pecorino Toscano with a salty, pungent dipping sauce of cannellini beans and shallots in extra-virgin olive oil; and, as a bonus, a wine-poached pear in truffle-infused honey (not to mention a tasty heap of toasted walnuts and basket of bread to mop it all up). Though Locanda del Lago does not match the homey, family-run feel of our sentimental favorites, the food and service were first-rate. Even the Italian tourists seemed to agree.

True feelings

True Food Kitchen's wild-mushroom pizza

TLT (tempeh, lettuce, and tomatoes), with kale and sweet potatoes

Edamame dumplings

Dariry-free chocolate pudding

Banana chocolate tart

Although True Food Kitchen (395 Santa Monica Place) denies it is a health food restaurant, this claim is, well, not entirely truthful. As the website explains, the menu is based on “Dr. Andrew Weil’s Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid,” so don’t go there expecting a lot of fat, white flour, or sugar (approved sweeteners include honey and agave). Regular readers of this blog know of our perennial skepticism toward such establishments, but True Food Kitchen does a better-than-average job within the parameters of the genre. We began with the edamame dumplings, the only dish on the menu with butter and cream (as we learned, to our delight, after we ordered it). The dairy fills out and gives a rich texture to the white-truffle-oil-laced pureed-edamame filling of the dumplings, which float in a savory bath and are topped with whole beans and daikon radish sprouts. For an entree, we had an excellent wild-mushroom pizza, featuring slivers of shiitake and other fungal delights with garlic and Taleggio cheese on a crisp, thin crust (nothing contrived here; Taleggio and mushrooms is a classic combination). We also liked Andy’s Favorite “TLT,” featuring tempeh strips tamed of their natural bitterness and imbued with the right salty and smoky notes in place of that meat product we would rather not think about. The sandwich came with the standard tomato slices and mayonnaise, plus avocado, on toasted whole-grain bread, along with a pair of sides: a peppery sweet-potato hash and a raw salad of shredded kale tossed with a kicky balsamic vinaigrette and a bit of parmesan, for a great combination of sweet, sour, and spicy. Of our two desserts, we preferred the banana chocolate tart, featuring a warm crust made of mesquite flour topped with warm slices of bananas, cream, and Brazil nuts, but we also liked the custardy vegan chocolate pudding, nicely complemented by toasted pistachios and walnuts and a sprig of mint. The only part of the meal that disheartened us was our nonalcoholic drinks (wine and cocktails are also available). Both the Hangover Rx, with coconut water, orange juice, and pineapple, and the Medicine Man, with olivello, pomegranate, cranberry, blueberry, and black tea, tasted like nothing so much as Vitamin Water. Still, that was only a blip in an otherwise pleasant dining experience enhanced by the stylish, industrial-chic decor and the superb service. We may not always like health-food restaurants, but, truth be told, this place won us over.

Tasty tapas

Smear job: Kreation Kafe's cold tapas sampler

Although we had passed Kreation Kafe many times, we had never felt drawn to try this organic, veg-friendly restaurant in Santa Monica (1023 B Montana Avenue, near 10th St.). The menu seemed pricey for what looked like a hole in the wall, the size of a takeout joint with just a couple of small tables on the busy sidewalk, and we feared that we would be rewarded for our trouble with nothing but ostentatiously healthy punishment food. Fortunately, with the encouragement of a friend, we overcame our misgivings and discovered, first, that this sliver of an eatery stretches back into an utterly charming indoor-outdoor seating area and, second, that the food, far from being punishing, is artfully prepared and bursting with flavor. The centerpiece of the meal, which we shared with our hostess, was a pair of tapas samplers, one hot and one cold, each wonderful in its own way. The cold plate included a mild, creamy hummus; a tangy yogurt-cucumber dip punctuated by fresh mint, dill, and parsley; a simply prepared eggplant dip; a refreshing salad of chopped cucumbers and tomatoes with red onion and parsley; roasted corn and black bean salsa; and vibrant tabouleh, with a bit of juiciness to complement the texture of the grain. Even better, the hot plate included golden, tender rosemary potatoes; intensely flavorful grilled tomatoes; sweet grilled corn-on-the-cob; peppery, garlicky sauteed spinach with chili flakes; and nutty wild rice with corn. We also ordered garden eggs, a pleasant omelet with caramelized mushrooms, red peppers, garlic, and parsley, served with mixed greens and toasted, whole-grain French bread. Only our dessert, a pair of macaroons, came close to matching our earlier, mistaken sense of the place, which is to say these vegan coconut cookies were not as moist or chewy as we would have liked, notwithstanding the lovely chocolate coating and a nice banana flavor (a small complaint in the scheme of things). We are sorry that it took us so long to give Kreation Kafe a fair chance, but now that we know what delights lie behind its humble facade, we will surely return.

Sitting Pretty

Rice patty: R+D Kitchen's veggie burger

A cup of fries

If you are beautiful, rich, and famous or at least want a side of glamour with your seared ahi tuna salad, you might consider R+D Kitchen, a chic eatery on Santa Monica’s boutique-y Montana Avenue (1323 Montana Ave., near Euclid). Though the atmosphere, at least from the sidewalk, appears to be one of overflowing bustle (no reservations are taken), those who manage to snag a table inside may well feel a sense of comfort and serenity. The winsome wait staff, crisply attired in white uniforms, are as friendly as they are attractive, like the idealistic young doctors of a TV drama. Some actual celebrities may be glimpsed here as well, since the restaurant, just across the street from the Aero Cinematheque, provides a convenient dining spot for the nonprofit’s special guests. Vegetarians will not find many choices, however. Putting aside the spinach and cheese omelet and a few ordinary side dishes, one is left with the unprepossessing house-made veggie burger. Formed from brown rice, mushrooms, carrots, and almonds, the patty is slightly sweet, not dry but not crisp either, with sporadic crunchiness from the nuts. Like the patty itself, the condiments lean toward the mild: melted jack cheese, avocado, mayo, and tomato slices, with a heap of fresh arugula and just a bit of red onion, all on a buttery, soft roll that felt heavier than it needed to be. (The fries, prepared in the style of pommes frites, are tasty enough.) Though vegetarians may justifiably visit R+D Kitchen for the scene, they are not likely to return for the food. But, as the ever-present crowds attest, that’s probably beside the point.

Editor’s note

After publishing nightly reviews almost without pause for more than a month, lavegetarian will be slowing down a bit, revisiting old favorites and adding photos to the older items. To avoid missing new material, please take a moment to subscribe (the link is at the bottom of the right-hand column). And if you happen to try any of our featured restaurants, leave a comment to let us know whether you agreed with our assessment. Happy dining…

Interim decision

Super Food veggie burger

Soup with lots of stuff

Woodsy Mushroom quesadilla, with salad

Having passed Interim Cafe countless times when it was closed or about to close (the hours are Monday to Friday till 8 p.m.), we often speculated about what we might find at this apparently health-oriented, veg-friendly Santa Monica spot (530 Wilshire Blvd., at 6th St.). Aside from the temporal limitations, there was something inaccessible here, starting with our uncertainty about the name itself, which we pinned down only with the help of Eco-Vegan Gal (see blogroll for link). The menu too is daunting, a thicket of soups, salads, sandwiches, quesadillas, “hot bowls,” and veggie burgers, with more permutations and descriptions than you can shake a vegan drumstick at; nor does the website offer a mission statement, a history, or anything else, beyond the menu, that might help a customer get a handle on the place. Finally inside tonight, we stood at the counter in a daze until, with help from the proprietor, we settled on white bean soup, the Super Food veggie burger, and the Woodsy Mushroom quesadilla. The soup was not quite what we expected, which is to say we had a hard time locating the white beans. What we found instead was a hearty vegetable broth loaded with everything but the kitchen sink: peas, potato, celery, carrot, spinach, tomato, black beans, quinoa, barley, and several kinds of rice. Though the effect was indeed clean and healthy, an overabundance of fresh dill made the taste almost medicinal; the toasted “health bread” on the side was pleasant enough but still had an off-putting air of virtuous austerity. The Super Food veggie burger, like all its Interim siblings, boasts a house-made patty, which escapes the usual mushiness but still ends up tasting like dry Thanksgiving stuffing, though it is helped along by caramelized onion, avocado, sharp raw cheddar, pickles, lettuce, tomato, and Thousand Island dressing, as well as a crisp but chewy whole wheat bun and a salad of mixed greens, shredded carrot, walnut, and orange. What we really liked, however, was the quesadilla, which, though undoubtedly healthy, made us think less about internal hygiene than the sensual ensemble of tastes and textures: juicy, savory sauteed mushrooms; crisp whole-wheat tortillas; hot chilis; sweet fresh corn; cool, silky avocado; and just a little gooey (albeit low-fat) mozzarella. Cut into quarters, the quesadilla was beautifully arrayed around a mixed-green salad with sweet slices of strawberry (the picture above does not do it justice). We also greatly enjoyed our frozen dessert, Chocolate Salvation, a sugar-free vegan soft-serve that was smooth, creamy, and chocolatey enough to stand on its own merits. If, in fact, the menu were oriented more toward items like the quesadilla than toward the sort of vegan punishment food that makes us cringe (tempeh, hemp tofu, “vegan chix”), indeed, if the menu were only simpler, we would be more enthusiastic about this unquestionably conscientious eatery. As things stand, however, we can give Interim Cafe only a provisional endorsement.

Nice Thai

Using their noodle: Melanee Thai Restaurant's pad see ew

Green curry with coconut rice

Hot and sour coconut soup (a/k/a tom kar vegetables)

In searching for good Thai food, vegetarians often face the dilemma of whether to risk violating a wishful “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy regarding fish sauce. (We have never fully gotten over our traumatic encounter with a bucket of steamed vegetables years ago in New York’s Chelsea when we pressed the point.) Los Angeles, it is true, has a number of strictly vegetarian Thai restaurants, which we plan to visit in due course, although our first experience was not entirely encouraging (see June 12 review). In the meantime, we very much appreciate a more traditional establishment that accommodates our needs, and Melanee Thai Restaurant (9562 Pico Blvd., near Beverwil in the Pico-Robertson district) fills this role very nicely. We began tonight with tom kar vegetables, a terrific hot and sour coconut soup with multiple layers of flavor, including an underlying savoriness and mild heat cut by the light creaminess of the coconut, the acidic tang of fresh lime, the citrus notes of lemongrass and cilantro, and the varied contributions of the mixed vegetables, including mushrooms, broccoli, bok choy, cabbage, pea pods, and carrot. Served in a big bowl, it provided plenty of happy slurping for two people and came so close to filling us up that we were able to eat only about half of our two entrees, though both were well worth finishing. The green curry, which the restaurant identifies as one of its most popular dishes, deftly employs fresh mint as a cooling counterpart to the sauce (mildly spicy at our request), as well as an array of tasty vegetables: broccoli, bok choy, and cabbage again, plus red and green peppers and eggplant. As for our pad see ew, the slightly gummy rice noodles were suitably savory, with a hint of sweetness and just a bit of egg to go with the veggies. (We do wish that our coconut rice and lemonade had been a little less sugary, though.) Melanee, which is next to the offices of Samuel Goldwyn Films, is pleasant and comfortable, with quiet jazz music, pillows thoughtfully placed in the banquettes, and Buddha statues everywhere. Our waiter tonight was the executive chef himself, a friendly and talented guy who was happy to answer all our questions. We asked, and he told us. Fish sauce, who needs you?

Fowl or fair?

The former Ambala Dhaba rebrands itself

Hen checked: HCC's vegetarian naan-a-rito

Spotting the Healthy Chicken Cafe sign from across the street (1781 Westwood Blvd., north of Santa Monica Blvd.), we were intrigued by the unexpected qualifier “also vegan / vegetarian.” An item on Grub Street cleared up the mystery: Formerly known as Ambala Dhaba, HCC is a Northern Indian restaurant that has sought to rebrand itself to attract a wider clientele. As we learned on our visit tonight, the genial proprietor takes his vegetarian customers very seriously, eagerly pointing out the separate utensils and even the separate oven he uses for meat and non-meat. Though HCC has a standard array of Indian vegetarian dishes, from which customers make their selection at the counter, we decided to try the innovative naan-a-rito, a combination of those same ingredients wrapped burrito style in the traditional Indian flatbread. Perhaps the most impressive element of HCC’s presentation, the golden, chewy naan is prepared right before your eyes, rolled out, spread on a convex mold, and almost instantly baked in the tandoori oven. The customer can then choose the filling: any combination of vegetables or legumes and basmati rice, supplemented by cooked carrots, chopped raw tomato, raw onion, raita, cilantro, tamarind and mint chutneys, and a salad of cabbage and radish. As with a Mexican burrito, there may be a law of diminishing returns as the number of ingredients increases; simple is generally better. In this case, we preferred our chickpea naan-a-rito to the one with peas and potatoes, perhaps because the former was prepared without the raita and thus better allowed the flavor of the main ingredient, the savory, mildly spicy chickpeas, to come through. The other noteworthy flavor in both naan-a-ritos was the sweet, tangy cooked carrots. (The freshly baked naan, of course, was another high point of the ensemble.) Our drinks, mango and mint lassis, were both as good as any we have had, the mint possibly better than average with its strong, fresh flavor and mild sweetness working in counterpoint to the tang of the yogurt. As befits its Westwood location, HCC is preeminently a place for students looking for inexpensive, nutritious, filling food (each giant naan-a-rito was easily enough for a meal in itself). Though a bit of trial and error may be needed before you find your own optimal naan-a-rito (or other dish), HCC provides more than enough reason for vegetarians, if not chickens, to make that trip across the road.

Yard shtick

The corn is green: the Yard's cobs with green-garlic butter

Two great tastes: burrata and peach

Warm hummus with grilled bread

Arancini with Romesco sauce

Chocolate cake with peanut butter ganache, charred marshmallow, and pretzel ice cream

Identifying itself as a gastro-pub, the Yard (119 Broadway, near 2nd St. in Santa Monica) has nothing for vegetarians among its entrees, but with an assortment of small plates and appetizers, non-meat-eaters can assemble their own mini tasting menu of Top Chef contestant C.J. Jacobson’s carefully and creatively prepared dishes. We ordered the gently grilled corn-on-the-cob, tender, sweet, juicy, and rolled in a buttery garlic sauce, with Irish coolea cheese and a dash of paprika; a combination of sweet (albeit slightly mushy) peach slices and creamy, pleasantly salty burrata; smooth, garlicky warm hummus, with roasted red pepper, sweet cherry tomatoes, parsley, and slices of crusty bread; and, the heaviest of our small plates, arancini, a reinvention of the Sicilian dish as crispy, golden balls with a creamy, cheesy risotto core and a Spanish Romesco sauce that had a slight nutty crunch under the bright tomato flavor. Part of Yard’s shtick is to put together apparently incongruous but actually harmonious elements, and we saw this strategy most clearly with our dessert, chocolate cake with peanut butter ganache, charred marshmallow, and pretzel ice cream, a combination that seemed like a nightmare on paper but was a dream on the plate. The marshmallows, we’re glad to say, were not charred at all but ever so slightly toasted to bring out caramel notes that were echoed in the ice cream and peanut butter, while the subtle deployment of pulverized pretzel added a touch of salty texture like fleur du sel sprinkled on a fine caramel ice cream. The cake itself was moist, with a deep chocolate flavor and not too much sugar; the peanut butter ganache luscious; and the ensemble simply delectable. Overall, we were quite impressed, though the sluggish service (our only complaint) sometimes made this dining experience seem like the longest yard. Though we’ve never watched Top Chef, we’re willing to say that, at least in our book, this Yardbird is truly a rock star.

Corn utopia

Bundles of joy at Tamara's Tamales

Tamara's crisp chips and salsa

A food blogger’s dream, Tamara’s Tamales (13352 Washington Blvd. in Marina del Rey) is a labor of love tucked away in a nondescript location, easy to miss but a joy to discover. It is also a vegetarian’s dream; the mother and daughter who run the restaurant were themselves vegetarians for several years, during which they reinvented family recipes, finding suitable substitutes for the traditional meat and lard. Our meal began auspiciously with the crisp, pleasantly salty corn chips, and a pair of great salsas: the slightly smoky, slightly sweet tomato-jalapeno and the bright, tangy tomatillo. For drinks, we ordered lemonade and guava, both made from fresh fruit juice. Then came our first batch of beautifully wrapped tamales, each husk delicately enfolding a moist, almost creamy blanket of corn masa. There were pasilla rajas, featuring fresh chilis, tomato, onion, cheddar, and jack cheese (so good that it was gone before we remembered to take notes); spinach-mushroom, often a losing proposition but here a winner, flavorful and just a little salty; veggie special, with a motley but delicious combination of ingredients, including, improbably but triumphantly, parsnip and shiitake; and potato mole (the odd one out in its banana leaf wrapping), packed with tender chunks of spuds perfectly complemented by the subtly bitter hint of chocolate. Although we had been advised that two tamales would be enough for each of us, we clamored for more, ordering green chili, with a vibrant red vegetable sauce, and black bean with white corn. We still felt light enough, in fact, to try one of the sweet tamales, plain masa with a swirl of molten milk chocolate, and might have kept going but decided to defer our pleasure to another day. It may sound corny but, Tamara, we think this is the start of a beautiful friendship.