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Off the Grid Food Trucks (Every Friday at the Fort Mason Center)

The Creme Brulee Cart

Who knew you could taste heaven for $4? In all seriousness though, The Creme Brulee Cart offered the best service out of all of the food carts, offering free high fives and immediate delivery of their delightful single, but ample, servings of creme brulee. I ordered the Nutella and Strawberry flavor and was happy to find that the custard itself was both light without losing it's structural integrity, possessing both that terribly addicting Nutella flavor and hunks of ripe strawberries, the flavors working together without ever being overwhelming. Definitely worth the stop, I'll surely be dining there again.

Kung Fu Tacos

This was actually an excellent example of fusion cooking.I ordered the Nun Chuk Chicken Taco and, although the chicken was a bit over-done, it was a bit covered up by the incredible garlic-ginger marinade, which gave the taco a savory taste with a subtle sweetness throughout. The meat was balanced by the mango-y salsa and cilantro, which gave it a refreshing taste with a pop of fruitiness, which was off-set by the onions. Overall, it was an incredibly well-balanced taco, well worth the $2.50 I spent on it. It was also lovely that they call you by your name and not an order number.

Zombie Curry

I decided to indulge a bit and get the Khao Niaow Mamuang, which was a bit pricey at $5, but the portions were huge. The sticky rice was authentic and clumped together with the Coconut Cream, which wasn't overtly coconut-y but still had a sweetness that was made more mild by it's creaminess. The mango was also very fresh without being overly sweet. Overall, a light and well balanced dessert but definitely meant to be shared.

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Home Restaurant (Silverlake)

From the outside, Home Restaurant looks like your typical 50's diner joint, nothing really special and I have never been so mistaken. Once you get past the valet parking ($2.50 for lunch, $3.50 at night), you're greeted by some incredible food at a stylish venue.

In fact, the decor of the restaurant itself was noteworthy. It had a cohesive and warm gold and brown color scheme that made the restaurant inviting. However, the black and white photos that adorned the walls, velvet curtains that separated the bar, chocolate-y leather upholstery, unique light fixtures, industrial ceilings, exposed brick walls and unusual glass work gave the place a very cool, downtown vibe.

At the waiter's suggestion, I ordered the breakfast chilaquiles with chicken and the ingredients were notably fresh, the tortilla chips were very obviously made on-site but they lacked any excess oil and the chicken was fire grilled while still moist and savory. That said, the chicken was a little too burnt in some spots, but that was the only low point of the dish. The tomato sauce had an interesting depth to it that complimented and brought together the flavors of the chips, chicken, egg and salsa without being acidic and the sour cream definitely resembled the type generally found in mexican restaurants, which is to say it was very creamy without being as thick as your standard 'dollop of daisy' sour cream. The salsa was easily the high point of the dish though, the tomatos almost tasted as though they had been slightly sun-dried, such was the distinctiveness of the flavor, and the onions and cilantro were finely chopped and not too sharp. While the dish was somewhat expensive ($12.60 with the added chicken), it can easily feed two people.

This particular Chicken Pamodoro sandwich isn't presented on the menu with a french-roll and avocado, nor is it panini style, rather the one we got was the brain-child of our incredibly engaging waiter Julian, who recommended the dish, as long as we got it as he makes it. His alterations to the sandwich, in addition to the aforementioned avocado, french roll and panini-style grilling, also included a chipotle dressing, which had a zestiness to it, without being overwhelming. It was also apparent that the bread was fresh (bonus: the sandwhich wasn't too bready) and I was impressed that the tomatoes and spinach retained their crispness after the grilling. The swiss cheese was very creamy and just the right potency to compliment the thinly sliced chicken breast. While it was $11.45 with the added avacado, if you have the money it is definitely worth the splurge.

Overall: Excellent service and definitely worth the price, the food was unique, fresh and was definitely made with a taste for distinctive yet cohesive flavors. This is also an excellent stop for vegans and vegetarians as they have a multitude of non-animal product options and meat-substitutes (like soyrizo and soychicken) and the menu was both long and widely varied. They also had red-velvet pancakes I would have loved to try but alas! I can't eat that much! Apparently the Beets and Pear salad is also one of the most popular items on the menu, and, if everything is as good as what I sampled, it may very well be worth a try.

Home Restaurant 

2500 Riverside Dr

Los Angeles, CA 90039

(323) 665-0211

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WHERE WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO VISIT ON YOUR PLANET?

OH HAI TUMBLR BOT.

Everywhere!

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An Introduction

Name: Amanda

Other Blog: http://bananafishphotography.tumblr.com/

Best Dishes: Lasagna, Brownies and Cake. (I'm going to spare myself the shame of listing Macaroni and Cheese here but, I assure you it takes some skill to make it really good)

Special Talents: Flipping tortillas off the stove bare-handed, doctoring up food and photographing things.

Qualifications: While I do watch too much food network, I've been lucky enough to be raised on my family's food. My dad always wanted to be a chef and he is an absolute grill-master and he taught me how to identify what's good and bad in meat. My grandma Rosana is a former cook hailing from Mexico and she's completely spoiled me with her cooking, she stakes out the best restaurants in the area and is an absolute marvel in the kitchen, I've never had a bad meal at her house. Finally, my grandma Maria has introduced me to a wide variety of dishes, all of them with some Cuban flair and flavor, perhaps in tribute to her home. My grandpa Manuel has taught me everything there is to know about everything sweet and bad for you (especially crêpes and decadent chocolate cake) and my mom has always encouraged me to expand my tastes and experiment (believe me, there have been some interesting experiments in our kitchen).

Dislikes: Hot dogs and KFC *shudders* haven't been able to eat either since I was very small.

Likes: Coffee, really good food.

Be warned: I'm a starving student, I can't eat out all of the time!