Food & Lib: The Fat Dog, NoHo

I'm always looking out for new and exciting places to open up near our apartment, and in the NoHo Arts District, that's becoming an ever-common occurrence! Most recently, a second location for The Fat Dog, which first popped up 4 years ago in Hollywood, has launched with a soft opening last week in North Hollywood - an opening 2 years in the making.

Located on Magnolia Blvd, wedged between other new eateries of varying faire (a few doors west is the delicious Bow & Truss, which I reviewed last year), this gastropub offers an expansive bar, refreshing summer cocktails, and of course, a coveted and shady outdoor space perfect for a large group or pup-friendly brunches. It is reminiscent of some of my favorite restaurants on the West Side (think Father's Office in Culver City or Plan Check on Sawtelle), but even better, because it's but a short walk from my apartment.









I got a group of friends together to scope it out, and naturally, we all ordered different things to test out their [for a short time] limited, soft opening menu. But don't let that fool you! There is something, many things, for everyone to enjoy! Eater LA may have posted gorgeous pictures of the new location (worth checking out), but for me? It was all about the food & libations!

First up? Specialty cocktails!





All of the cocktails of, you guessed it!, doggy-themed names. I went immediately for the Off the Leash (the lovely pink one): the Fat Dog's take on a Whiskey Sour, with agave and aperol thrown in for good measure. Another popular choice for the table was the Well Groomed (the gilded up one above), with bubbly ginger beer mixed with Pimm's, lemonade and cucumber. Not pictured? The Tootsie Roll Over with a cacao rum - delicious, and an easy replacement for dessert - as well as one of my favorites, a gin concoction muddled with arugula! Sounds strange, but it's such a fragrant, refreshing "green juice"-like cocktail, perfect for summer afternoons.

Of course, some of us went the hoppy route and paired beer with their pub food.

I couldn't wait any longer, I had to order from the appetizer / small bites menu! Jalapeno Mac & Cheese was a no-brainer! Within seconds, the cast-iron skillet had been cleared as we all scrambled to claim a spoonful.




A beautiful Kale Caesar Salad made an appearance too, complete with a fried egg!




For me, though, it was the Fried Pickles with Ranch yogurt dip that stood out on the menu!





I love everything about this presentation. And the pickles? The best I've ever had! These weren't your standard pickle chips - we're talking crunchy, dill spears fried to perfection! I dream about these... I'm even salivating right now thinking about them. Not surprisingly, I had a hard time sharing!

Next up came the entrees. The menu is more limited now than it will be in the coming weeks, but we certainly didn't have a problem finding something that sounded incredible. In fact, we got five different things! The star, of course, is the signature Fat Dog - a massive grilled hot dog on a poppy seed bun, with sport peppers, tomatoes, onions, and potato chips. Think of it like a Chicago Dog on steroids!






Whenever I go to a new place, my instinct is to go for their signature hamburger first. If they can't do that right, why even bother, amiright?!

And you guys? It was spectacular! The least fussy, but most satisfying Burger I've had in a long time, with a little punch from the shaved Manchego cheese.






Just... just take a second to look at that. You can almost smell it, the perfect medium rare. And the best part? You can get The Flight burger sliders as an alternative, or to share with the table!




And there's something about fries right out of a paper bag that makes them taste 100 times better, huh?

Finally, the crispiest Fish & Chips, with wedge cut fries.




This is easily my new favorite place to spend an afternoon in the Valley. The outdoor space, with long picnic tables, is a lovely place to bring your puppy, order a drink and some appetizers, and enjoy the hustle and bustle of the neighborhood. I mean, how relaxing does that look?



Definitely don't wait, it's worth hurrying to try this place out before it gets too crowded! Considering they've been open for less than a week (at the time of this posting), their service was wonderful, their atmosphere calm and quiet, and the menu expansive. They even have an Alternative Burger for their Vegetarian or Vegan customers! I have a feeling they're going to do incredibly well in this location. Every Saturday & Sunday, they serve brunch until 3 PM, featuring a half-dozen $5 cocktails to choose from. That is going to be our next mission at The Fat Dog: Weekend Brunch.

Go check it out! You won't regret it!

Place:  The Fat Dog
Neighborhood:  NoHo Arts District (North Hollywood)
Food:  Yes
Full Bar:  Yes

Honey Honey, How You Thrill Me

I have a confession: I hate honey. Correction: I hated honey. I just never understood it, why people carried on and on about it as a "golden elixir" the way most people obsess about bacon. (omagah bacon...) I've realized though, in the past few years as my palette for tastes has matured, that I've started to discover a lot of new things. As a notoriously picky eater, this evolution has come as a bit of a revelation.

I'm also not talking about strange, exotic foods or flavors that most people don't experience, maybe, ever (like my mom's affection for cow tongue)... No no, I mean normal things that most people consider no-brainers in terms of top-notch yumminess. It started with jalapenos three years ago. Since then, I'm surprised how things I once despised (bell peppers, fish, cream cheese, cucumbers!)—and yes, I did try things, I wasn't that stubborn—that have grown on me more recently in unexpected ways.

Most recently, it's honey. Once considered by me to be overly sweet with a yucky 'blah' texture, everyone in my family experienced my aversion to the stuff. My sister even apologized to me for giving delicate jars of homegrown, local honey as favors for her wedding last summer. Of course, John and I walked away with a jar each, and immediately, I dropped them in the pantry, figuring I'd see them the next time we moved.

But I threw a little shin-dig a few weeks back where I prepared a slap-dash cheese and meat platter for the guests to enjoy. People drizzle things with honey, I remembered, because I see it on Pinterest all the time. Out came the honey (just for show, really), settling in nicely between the Gruyere, sliced pears, and French bread. Then it happened. I tried it, plopping some on my bread and Manchego and pear creation, because why not, right? I'm adventurous. You guys... FIREWORKS!

Most of you are probably thinking "Duh, honey is the most delicious thing in the world!" But for me, this felt hugely significant. I could feel my brain rejiggering to make sense of how something I'd considered so vile and unnecessary was now prompting an obsessive, desperate desire to have ALL THE HONEY EVER.

This life-changing honey is not overly sweet, which may have been what clinched it. Only lightly filtered so it still has texture, and it's got actual taste. Perfect, mind-blowing taste. Now... what else can I put honey on? I feel like a whole new world of foods has opened up to me!

(image via nastasiason)

West Side Market, Cleveland

I completely forgot that I had taken these pictures, and considering this is a slow week for me blog-wise (work-wise, it's insane, so apologies for the delay in posts!), I figured I'd post a little throwback. A quick return to my holiday trip to Cleveland, Ohio, John and I spent a drizzly weekday morning strolling about the historic Ohio City Market Square. There, we found the longest running and the oldest publicly owned market: West Side Market.

Now a Cleveland landmark, the market is housed inside a famous brick building built by architects Benjamin Hubbel and W. Dominick Benes, and it features over 100 vendors every week, all from different backgrounds with various foods to sell. We went on a Monday morning (a work day), and it was full of bustling people shouting, carting away meats, breads, pastries, and vegetables. Me, I ventured in with just my camera.






Slipping through the entrance, it felt like we were dipping down into the depths of the city, the massive space framed with subway tiles, old brick floors, and dimly lit windows high-high up near the ceiling.

The first area we saw was the meat. I was shocked by the variety and just how fresh the ingredients were. Some of the displays actually caught me off-guard (pigs feet and ham hocks!), but for true chefs and foodies, this is probably what heaven looks like.









We all know how partial I am to jalapenos, so I felt my mouth salivating the moment I saw the bacon-wrapped poppers skewered endlessly in front of me.

My kryptonite, though, is fresh baked bread. Particularly of the sourdough variety. And the enter center section of the market was jam-packed with vendors selling their freshly based loaves, most that were as big as my torso!










I mean, can you even? You'll never find me giving up gluten!

Then, the busiest area of the market was certainly the dessert goods. Many people were like me, however... smelling and staring from a distance, resisting temptation. Cannolis of every variety were lined up, irresistibly, and every pastry counter was like a kaleidoscope of color and chocolatey sweetness.

If I lived near the Westside Market, you'd better believe I'd be there every week to get all my bread, meats, and produce (which is actually sold in a different building right next to this one). John and I decided to sneak to the back, where there is a made-to-order falafel place that makes that entire section smell ridiculously good. We wandered around a bit more, trying to find a place to sit (there isn't any), and found ourselves in the dangerously narrow upstairs walkway, where shoppers were gathered, snacking, chatting, and of course... snapping pictures of the market below.

xx



(all pictures property of Through the Reels)