Love & Salt UPDATE - Manhattan Beach

I feel guilty making this post. They shuffled tables to accommodate us with just one hour notice on a Sunday night, and the service was just stellar. The food was fantastic, though the light and my cell phone skills made it not so photogenic. 

Right off the bat, the bread was addicting; this thick, crusty, super-chewy core of Fett'unta, a hit in the mouth of gooey garlic, soaked with olive oil, grilled to a juicy crackle. I could have had just this for dinner,

But save some to dip in the broth after these soft Salt Spring Mussels. Savored with sausage, uplifted with some leeks, the plate may be blurry, but the sea-sweet quality is clear. 

Whole Roasted Branzino has a crispy skin and the flesh is white as snow. The taste is so pure, fresh as the day it docked, on a soft bed of lentils, a sweet contrast to bitter Brussels. 

They sure can cook their carbs. A simple-sounding Rigatoni all'Amatriciana is anything but, with a deeply textured pasta, tangy tomato smoothed out with a salty guanciale, creamy with pecorino smear. 

Break the egg on their signature Duck Egg Pizza, and smear. Let the gooey yolk wrap around the bits of bacon-pancetta, and let it run through the shaved potato. 

Complete the perfect meal with a dessert of Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch. The crispy wafers with layered chocolate make a high-end Nutty Buddy, and I can't imagine anything better. 

I was fond of Love & Salt the first time, but I didn't fully appreciate it until now. The consistent delivery of fabulous flavor and quality is indisputable, and they're stood the test of time. Their food is as relevant now as it was when they burst in brand-new, and I will never stop loving Love & Salt!

Mian - Los Angeles

Man, it's hard to find a place like Mian. Supply chains are shot and prices are soaring, and if you want good food, prepare to pay. 

Except Mian-Los Angeles is an LA establishment with SGV prices, and you can get gooey, tar-yolked Thousand Years Egg in Chili Sauce for a measly price of $5. Be prepared for the pungence - you love them or you hate them, and there is no in-between. Either way, the chunky green chili sauce is to die for.

Soothe your spice and slake your thirst with a cup of Mung Bean Tea. It's a sweety-beany slurp, and it only costs 3 with refills for free. 

Have you ever seen anything quite as pretty as this Pork Pan Fried Dumpling dish? The juicy mince is a contrast to the crispy starch-fry and does a flavor-dance with a sauce both spicy and sour.

The Half Crispy Skin Chicken may not be their main attraction, but it's something to cluck about. The skin isn't all that crispy, but the chicken is pretty perfect.

You can't come to a place called Mian and not have a bowl of mian. Their signature Chengdu Zajiang Noodle is possibly the best bowl of noodles I've ever tasted - just the perfect balance of long, eggy al dente noodles coated with savory pork, a rich fried egg and a slightly spicy sauce you can't stop eating. 

Of the Osmanthus Rice Balls, I was not a fan. The sweet rice balls were rock hard, and I'm not sure if they were undercooked or if this is just how they are. The simple slightly-syrup they come in is refreshing after a hot meal on a summer day. 

Man, I'm in love with Mian. The food is as straightforward and simple as it sounds, but it's executed with absolute mastery, and I dare you to find better mian in LA.

Dim Sum King - El Monte

In the valley of little China that we call San Gabriel, Dim Sum King lives among the greats. Hailing from El Monte where shrimp hargow are literally a dime a dozen, you have to make an impression to survive. 

I've had a fair amount of SGV dim sum, and I can confirm that the King ranks among the nobles.  

They make my favorites, a flavorful Shrimp Hargow with a crystal wrapper that doesn't disintegrate.

Shu Mai are standard, porky and dense.

Taro Cake is rooty-tooty and pleasantly edible. The cake is soft enough to chew and firm enough to enjoy. 

Baked BBQ Pork Buns are fluffy and filled, topped with a sweet and shiny glaze.  

Shanghai Pork Soup Dumplings are tender and light, from the same source as all the others. 

The Beancurd Roll has a chewy wrapper to contrast the core of sauteed veg. 

Steamed Beef Balls are tender and moist, like they've been stewing in savory soup. 

Pan Fried Chive Cakes have a paper-thin shrink-wrap peel that adds some al dente to a moist dumpling filling. 

Sesame Balls are cracklin' classic with smooth red bean inside.

Standard dim sum, all well-done. I had a significant sampling, and not a single dish disappoints. I haven't tried as much SGV dim sum as I'd like, so I'd go elsewhere next time I have a craving. So although Dim Sum King wouldn't be my first choice, I'd circle back someday and be glad I did.

Heritage Barbecue - San Juan Capistrano, CA

Texas 'cue in Capistrano plucked from local celebrity and overall obscurity by Michelin's Bib Gourmand. It's a gift and a curse, having places like this one so close yet so far away. Instead of a sleep-in Saturday, we're out the door at 9 AM for lineup at 11 to compete for the meat.

They have a bit of everything, so check out this crazy tray. Big bites like the Beef Rib and Brisket are big on flavor and silky with marbled fat. Smoke is no joke for a star of dixie, and I will say they're a lot less smoky than my mail-order from Texas institutions like Truth and Snow's. Overall just fabulous, but under-all not as big as Texas. 

They may be big on beef, but don't forget the pork. Their Pulled Pork is perfection, an arguable equal when all is said and done. 

Ribs fall off the bone, and the seasoning has some style. Sides like this crazy-good cavatappi Mac & Cheese are boosted by chicharron, and the fluffy-fresh Biscuit is incredible.

I wish they had some sausage, but they have the Swedish Meatball instead. It looks real pretty, but it's loaded with salt and little else. That pretty gray gravy is more of the same, and I can't believe they skipped sausage for this. 

Roast Vegetables are our side, and they really made this into something special. The bed of gooey cheese makes it rich, and the smoke does a dance on the palate. On a menu full of rich, heavy things, I would have been fine with just plain veggies, though I do love what they did with these. 

Their overall smoke isn’t as strong but they do deliver a taste of Texas. It's a sampling of a Lone Star tradition from San Juan Capistrano, a standing Socal reminder that when it comes to food, you don't mess with Texas.