The Adventures Of Tummy: March 2012

Only Mr. Borscht would know that after a very hard 3 weeks where nothing is sure, that a nice French dinner would set things straight for Tummy. And so Thursday night, no longer being able to wait for Friday to roll around although only a day away, he took me out to my favorite French restaurant Monsieur Marcel to remind me that life in the past month really isn't as bad as it seems.

Who knows? May be it would work may be it wouldn't, I had my doubts. And whether the cozy atmosphere and aroma of great french food would keep my troubles at bay it did, at least for that night.

Escargot, which I happen to love was my treat as I do not get to eat it very often for whatever reason. The delicacy comes without their shells, soaked in butter, garlic and herbs, with a texture and bite that is comparable to that of calamari. I prefer my escargot stuffed in their beautiful shells and for this reason I was a little sad to see them naked, it also wasn't the most delicious escargot I've had as I would have preferred them will less butter and more herbs. But tonight, I was happy to have escargot at all, and they really weren't half bad.

My main entree, one of my favorites here at Monsieur Marcel is the Boeuf Bourguignon, the dark, full and well-rounded flavors of the meat, pearl onions, mushrooms, potatoes and tagliatelle in the red wine reduction sauce, makes it considerably hard for me not to order this french stew whenever I am here. I always find this dish to be heart-warming and comforting.

Mr. Borscht opts for something new, the French burger, which can be described as nothing less that absolutely amazing, and probably will be the best burger you've ever had, if you don't mind caramelized onions and sauteed mushrooms that is. The meat is to die for, flavorful, moist and fresh. And while caramelized onions and sauteed mushrooms is enough for me to swoon over this burger the fact that you have a choice of four fantastic cheeses to go into your burger: Roquefort (blue cheese), Brie (soft cow cheese), Gruyere (much like swiss cheese) or St. Loup (goat cheese)... this just seals the deal for me. This is the one and only place that I know of in Los Angeles that has the ultimate gourmet burger. Burger fans? Come one, come all!

The Damage: $48.36

Escargot

Boeuf bourguignon

French Burger

Monsieur Marcel
6333 W. 3rd Street (Southeast side of the Farmer's Market)
LA CA 90036
(323) 939.7792

When it comes to comparing palates we can safely say that there is a wide variety of palates, some things that I may find too salty others may not, other who believe something is too sweet I may feel is perfect. And when it comes to coffee the difference in palate and what is satisfying to our own tongue is even more so different than the next tongue.

A new coffee bar has popped up in the middle of the Grove's Farmer's Market on the ever congested 3rd Street. What once was inhabited by a bakery of sorts has now been taken over by a coffee bar called Single Origin (SO). With its wide selection of baked cooks that is evidently baked fresh as I can smell it in the air as I pass by, its cool looking coffee chemistry drip set lined out at front, the large sparkly coffee machine with gauges and compressors this new coffee bar is hard to dismiss. A little hipster coffee bar has popped up in the very LA Farmer's Market, a bit out of place it seems to be with its hipster-like attitude and employees but I have to say that this is all part of the attraction, a little piece of Silverlake has seemed to land in our midst.

I fight the urge to order the signature TCHO Mocha and decide upon another signature mixture of theirs called Salted Caramel. I put in my order, wait two minutes, my name is called, and I look at the beautiful teal colored coffee cup and the Salted Caramel coffee inside adorned with a beautiful leaf design they so often do everywhere these days, I hope some day to look upon an elephant instead!

I feel a bit of an excitement rising, the first taste from a new coffee shop is always an event for me. I take the first sip, then the second and then a third. I am, in a word, disappointed. Salted Caramel? It tastes neither of saltiness or of caramel, simply tastes like a regular latte to me. A bit too light for my liking, and a bit too bland, there is nothing exciting nor different about this coffee.

And so while I was attracted like a mosquito to a bright light with the new coffee bars fancy-pansy, hipster-like decor and ways the coffee did nothing for me, or more specifically, the Salted Caramel latte did nothing for me. Whether I will ever go back is questionable, however if I do now I know better, maybe I shall give it a go another time soon, a black coffee and pastry will just have to do. Until then SO it is a sad adieu.