Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams - Playa Vista

Today's theme is the letter J. Sitting a stone's throw from Joliet is her cold-dessert cousin Jeni, with all her scoops of the sweet stuff. 

There are the usuals and then there are the seasonals, and the Signature three scoops lets you try a few. Brown butter almond brittle has a nutty finish, and iced molasses gingerbread is a special that conjures warm fires and candy houses. I'm a sucker for anything cake-flavored, but buttercream birthday cake was a bit more doughy-dry than I prefer.

Still, they're called splendid ice creams because they are. The flavors have a whimsy congruent with the name, and every bite holds a little bit of (very sugary) magic. 

Joliet Cafe & Bar - Playa Vista

I love this complex. There's every store you want selling everything you need and don't need, and this little indoor stall-mall known as the Runway is one of the classier outfits south of LA. 

Every vendor has a well-curated collection, whether it's bespoke children's clothes or this pretty little turquoise cafe serving scrumptious sandwiches and steaming caffeinated drinks.  

Even on a deserted weekday they exude a lively vibe to offset the food coma that comes quick from this thick and meaty Pastrami sandwich. The pastrami is chewy, a little bit dried from the grilling to make it more like a smokier, thicker bacon. A bitter brown mustard and delicately sour cornichons cut through the chunky, melty cheese and thick, tear-with-teeth baguette. 

There's a Fig Serrano special here, where heat draws out the oils of a savory Spanish ham. Arugula anchors a gooey cheese on ciabatta and a gorgeous slice of fig shows its face.

The sandwiches run on the smaller side but they are filling and rich. There are pastries in the case as well if you're just looking for a croissant to go with your coffee, and I'm told the drinks are good. Highly recommend as a breakfast break, a lovely lunch, or a refueling mid-shopping snack.

The Wood Urban Kitchen - Inglewood

I rarely see such a disconnect between the Eater opinion and the public opinion,and their abysmal 3-star average on Yelp should raise a few eyebrows. 

The barbecue itself isn't bad. In fact, it's pretty good. The Ribs have some solid smoke, and the meat comes off (but doesn't fall off) the bone with minimal gnawing. It's the sea of sauce that's baffling. I know ribs get basted in sauce, but this is half a squeeze-bottle on top. There's more sauce than meat and I had to scrape SO much off.

The sauce itself has a Sweet Baby Ray’s vibe, a little sugar, a little tang. It wouldn't make a lasting impression by itself so I guess they made sure you remembered it by sheer volume. 

Onto the Brisket, which California rarely does right. This one has a proper smoke in it, and the slices are quite tender, but again with the sauce. HARD PASS on the Chicken Links because they are inexplicably mealy and DryDryDRY, compressed sawdust in the shape of a sausage. 

The Pulled Pork is great, and it makes a strong, sauce-soup sandwich. But it does suspiciously resemble the ribs in both appearance and texture...

The sides are all good here, baked beans, slaw, etc. Mac n' cheese hits, and street corn is a SoCal signature. 

I don't hate the meat, but the way they did that sauce-slop, it was like they were trying to cover something up. Overall not bad, but the prices are quite concerning. 

Holdaak Fried Chicken - Gardena

Holy Holdaak, this chicken is crispy!

The Holdaak Original Sandwich with daikon slaw is pretty great, and I'm pretty sure every variation of the same double-bread, double-fry is delicious. They have afternoon BOGO deals so you don't have to stop at a single sandwich. Even after a Doordash ride, you can feel the crunch all the way through your brain. 

Elote Corn Slaw is a fun little side, but no need, the stuff on the sandwich is good. 

All that crispy chicken, promo for a BOGO, but I'm still feeling the Philly Cheesesteak. Gooey goodness, melty cheese coalesced among the juicy chips of chopped steak, best with an order of those extra-EXTRA crispy super-seasoned Shake Fries. 

All the chicken is crispy, and even the fries are fabulous. And I NEVER comment on the fries. Casual, affordable, definitely worth a bite. 

The Salt Lick - Driftwood, TX

A lot of us picked up some pretty bad habits during the pandemic. I did too. I didn't drink, and I didn't smoke, but I started paying other people to do some serious smoking on my behalf. That's right, I got addicted to mail-order barbecue. Thanks to dry ice and overnight shipping, there was no telling how far frozen bricks of brisket and entire racks of ribs could come. It started with Snow's and most recently settled at Salt Lick. 

It all started because of Thanksgiving, as I've vowed to never brine another turkey. Salt Lick has this Spicy Smoked Turkey Breast that adds some oomph to an otherwise boring bird. There is no meat I detest more than the slab of drywall that is a turkey breast, but this one is almost interesting. It could use a little more smoke, but you can see it from the faint pink glow of the meat, and they aren't stingy about the spice. It’s a sharp and perky, somewhat peppery burn that is stimulating and almost exciting. That's high praise from me - I've never met a turkey breast I could tolerate, never mind one I could like. Now if only they’d smoke and spice some turkey legs instead, I’d be ordering those every year. 

The classics are the classics. The Brisket is a boon, though the smoke is not as strong as Black’s.

The Sausage has a snappy casing with nice notes of pepper, and a sweet finish that most would enjoy. 

The Pork Ribs are alright. Not falling off the bone but not clinging for life either. Better when basted, and I do love their mustard-strong sauce. 

Beef Rib is also okay, good stuff but not my favorite, like most of the stuff here compared to legends like Snow's and Black's. Everything seems a bit more subtle, still all the makings of a classic, more like a strong backup singer; carries the harmony but doesn't overshadow the lead. Still, it's good stuff. Not a new favorite but zero regrets all the same. 

Tommy & Atticus - Redondo Beach

It’s a big deal when the chef from Gjusta sets up shop in the South Bay.

The display case of flaky layered kougins and fluffy croissants flanked by racks of fresh-smelling loaves tells me that Tommy & Atticus is everything I had ever hoped for.

The daily sandwiches are simple, starting with a cool and clean Veggie Sandwich. Served between slices of their spectacular sourdough, the avocado-cucumber-cream cheese filling is refreshing albeit a little bit plain. I added a spicy hummus (purchased from the farmers market) to give it some extra pep. 

A baguette bolsters savory slices of turkey and ham in their sandwich of the day. Pickled onions add their acid, and mustard and arugula bring about the balance.

A Country Loaf is a must, with an iconic crust that crunches with an easy give, clearing a path for a chewy crumb. It exudes a delicate fragrance that has simultaneous subtlety and depth.

The pastries taste as pretty as they look. A hundred paper-thin layers flounce around the Blackberry Fruit Tart, filled with a light custard cream.

Impossibly thin layers of golden sheets circle into a Caramelized Kouign, a simple delight with a lightly burnt, seared-sugar skin.

Apple Pie Kouign is a decadent fave - every pie should have a crust like this. 

And last but not least, a giant slab of Brownie. Fall-apart crumbly, just gooey enough for those who are fond of fudge. 

Their focus is on all things baked, sold early, fast, and fresh. Quality will cost you, but they charge about what you'd expect. Their strip mall location is convenient, with plenty of parking and some sidewalk space for outdoor dining, though this bounty is best boxed up to go. Whether you stay or go, just be sure to get there. 

Pann’s Restaurant - Los Angeles

I thought I didn't care about diners, but it turns out I just didn't care about diners that weren't very good. Waffle House aside, I've never been a fan, but I'm practically a groupie after Doordashing from Pann's. 

One Country Fried Steak, coming up. Juicy cube steak, pounded thin, fried and breaded brown, drowning in a decadent cream-of-sausage soup that they call gravy. They set it on a bed of hash browns for me, and I fight the urge to go for over-easy eggs and get a side of fruit as a palate reset between my bites. 

Pay for a brick of biscuit or two, these spectacular squares weigh more than they look like they should, simultaneously the densest, lightest thing you've ever tasted. The heft comes from an amount of lard that might be illegal, but the buttery layers will simply melt away. Sure, get some fried chicken too, but that's almost an afterthought next to the best biscuit you'll ever eat. 

Combo Waffle for the win, but you can get those sausages and eggs just about anywhere. The Combo French Toast is better if you get it with fried chicken. Big fluffy brioche slices coated in egg so thick you'll never see the bread. Best when smothered with syrup and eaten with the best fried wings in the world. 

I get weirdly cheap about paying expanded range fees on Doordash, but I won't even bat an eye for Pann's. It could be fifty dollars and I'd pay. If their food is this good after a trek from way up in La Cienega, I can't imagine what it would taste like fresh.