The Photographers Photographer

Posted by Cafe Pasadena on May 20, 2012

I’ve mentioned here before the difficulty I encounter to blog and how I envy those of you who have the time & organization to blog more than once a week, and even daily!

One problem I have with blogging is just deciding on the subject! It’s not for a lack of topics. Actually the amount of material can so overwhelm me to the point of paralyzing me from blogging until another day, or week. I call it Bloggers Block.

Luckily I didn’t have to postpone today’s post to another day. It took only 2-3 minutes to find & decide upon…Cafe Pasadena’s Believe It or Not! Besides, it’s been waiting over 2 years for its turn, so it’s about time.

So, what’s with this blog post?

Pictured above I’m at the new Euro Pane Bakery & Cafe, between the Paseo Colorado & Citihall, back in 2010 about a month prior to its opening. (Has it been over 2 years already??)

There are numerous things, to say the least, which need to be done prior to opening a restaurant, or any business. The activities on that particular day were part of menu planning. While the menu would be basically like the original Euro Pane, the new would have a few new wrinkles added.

On this same day I photographed the professional photographer above. He was there with his wife. They are professional photographers & filmmakers specializing in travel. When they arrived they got most of our attention temporarily off the restaurant/food and onto their travel work and their Canon camera!

I was pleasantly surprised to hear a couple of my women friends discussing photography with this photographer. Although not pros, they definitely sounded like serious amateur photogs compared to me! I still use only a point & shoot and ask questions later camera as my only weapon. I’m not ready to advance to the next Xpen$ive camera yet.

Food & Photography: When opposites attract.

Food is the main purpose for my carrying a camera. What is your chief reason to have a camera??

Gotta Point & Shoot. Stay Thirsty My Friends

Mystery History – Pasadena

Posted by Cafe Pasadena on February 28, 2012

Our city of Pasadena PIO is resting, recuperating, and relaxing again. Deservedly. Therefore I’ll again keep the very important historical torch lighted until she’s ready to roll again. Take your best guess at this magazine photo.

Where are we? And what’s happening in this photo?

The first person to guess correctly will have the admiration of our local bloggers!

I’ll have the full scoop on Thursday.

Gotta Wake-Up. Stay Thirsty My Friends

MO-CHICA Modern Peruvian

Posted by Cafe Pasadena on December 11, 2011

Before another year passes me by, or another restaurant closes, I’d best publish a few things from prior years. Like a dinner just a few days before Thanksgiving 2009 at Mo-Chica Modern Peruvian restaurant in Los Angeles. (Mo-Chica was named for the language of a pre-Incan civilization)

It may be the best Peruvian restaurant in southern California. Yet, it’s humbly located in a food court at Mercado LaPaloma just east of and within easy walking distance of USC. When I mentioned the restaurant to a USC foodie friend of mine she basically said: “OMG!, I used to work on the floor above that place!”

I first heard of it from my favorite restaurant blogger, Cathy deGastronomer of Pasadena and the driving force behind the Eat My Blog charity events. She raved about her first experience at Mo-Chica and how she just had to make a return visit! That caught my attention. Occasionally I meet-up to eat with food bloggers. Well, I caught her Peruvian infection and we along with a few fellow San Gabriel Valley food bloggers (plus a hitchhikers from L.A & O.C, to be fair) made a date to meet at their next tasting menu night.

Today I don’t remember all the details except what was great, and not so great. I will show a series of photos of the food we ate in the order presented to us.

The default menu is small and easy.

A simple soup started the night of tastings. My taste buds went, “Hallelujah!, Hallelujah!!” Wow! What’s gonna be next??!! The bad news of this great taste was this first shot was also the best shot of the night.

Spicy Rock Shrimp Causa (avocado mousse, rocoto aioli)

This avocado mousse was what I remember best about this shrimp.

One of few squids I’ve liked. Mo-Chica is know for their cerviche but this particular sea bass/cerviche didn’t meet that standard, imho.

I liked the Peruvian chowder sauce but seem to recall the halibut was somewhat dry and nothing special.

This looks relatively good but the consensus was it was also the most disappointing item of the tasting menu. It seemed to remind us of chicke strips and one of us said (maybe me?) that for the price we would rather have chicken McNuggets! Well, this is a tasting menu so you’ll come across some experiments which just fizzle out.

Cathy taking aim at the disappointment with her new heavy duty sized weapon. My own pictures were far from my best food pics. I had my hands full with the food & drinks.

Last, but not least, Dessert! Also, imho, the 2nd best item of our tastings. Well, we started on the highest point, and finished on the 2nd highest.

A final sip, a last spoonful, one last shot, and we’re about done for the night. It was good but could’ve been much better – and has! One reason why, even on an off night, it’s still probably the best Peruvian restaurant I’ve experienced & recommend you check it out when you’re in that part of L.A.

Afterwards, Chef Owner Ricardo Zarate came out to check out how his diners felt about this tasting menu. Chef’s background includes formal culinary school education, restaurants & hotels in London, consulting for Hell’s Chef – Gordon Ramsey, and Japanese cuisine. He definitely uses his Japanese experience in his recently opened fancy restaurant – Picca – and described as a Peruvian cantina with Japanese influenced Peruvian cuisine. Cathy described it as “the most exciting place to dine in at the moment.” Ok,..but what about the taste??

But where does this Chef like to eat? Vietnamese Pho in Koreatown! "For some reason, Koreans make really good Pho." What would he being doing if didn’t become a chef? A history teacher! Yep, I can see him in a classroom. And now Chef Zarate was named one of Food & Wine magazines Best New Chefs for 2011. I can understand why. Glad it’s happening here in our area.

Mo-Chica Modern Peruvian Restaurant

3655 S. Grand Ave. / Los Angeles 90007

Gotta Get to Eating! Stay Thirsty My Friends

lemonade – Pasadena

Posted by Cafe Pasadena on November 20, 2011

My dependably daily blogger friend, Petrea, asked me about a review of Lemonade – one of the new restaurants in town.

I dunno about a “review”. It’s been open since only September & I’ve visited it just twice. Nor do I know if anyone would care. It didn’t help to see that these pics were far from my best. But, oK, I should say something about Lemonade now. Or forever hold my tongue until the following century.

What is Lemonade? They are modern cafeterias serving seasonal southern cal comfort food. So of course the history of Pasadena dictated we had to have one of these modern cafeterias here!

So the Cafe Pasadena staff took seats at lunchtime on a warm sunny September, similar to today, and started to eater watch the lineup for the next 10 minutes…