NorCal Road Trip - Monterey - Asilomar State Beach, Cannery Row, Ambrosia Indian Bistro and Troya Turkish Delight and Baklava

We wanted to see the tide pools at Asilomar State Beach, but no one checked the tides. 

We arrived just in time to catch the highest tides still rising, on a dreary day of clouds and wind. Still, it was quite a sight, and we’re glad we sunk our feet into that silky sand, even if we didn’t linger. 

The afternoon is a lot more pleasant as we take a stroll along a well-known Cannery Row. The view of the ocean is nice,

and even John Steinbeck shows his face.

The highlight of this excursion? The photobombing seagull. 

We go to grab dinner at Ambrosia India Bistro, and I find the prices quite fair for Cannery Row. 

We did it. We got Butter Chicken. I'm sorry. They had a lot of good-looking dishes on their menu, and we went with the stereotype...the very enjoyable stereotype. A creamy tomato-based gravy with tender chicken chunks...what's not to like?

The Lamb Briyani is different from what I usually see. Their rice is heavily coated with a tomatoey sauce, and the spice profile has far less cardamom and cloves. It's a bit soupy so I wonder if they just didn't cook it long enough. That said, it's the first non-white rice the toddler willingly tried so apparently their briyani is a miracle. 

They make a nice, fluffy regular naan, and they have a Cheese Naan which is basically an Indian quesadilla. Densely packed with lotsa mozza, it doesn't really go with the curries/gravies, but it's a go-to for picky eaters. 

They got my kid to try their rice so I have nothing negative to say. I've had better Indian, but it could also be much worse. 

We found Troya Turkish Delight and Baklava a few doors down while we wait for our takeout. It's expensive but it's beautiful, and if it didn't cost a whopping $3 per PIECE, I would have tried every piece of baklava and Turkish delight they had. The store looked and smelled heavenly, even through the mask. 

The regular baklava is great, but it's the chocolate baklava you want. 

Like it, love it, dying to get more of it. 

Le Cristal - Paris, France

Surely we did not venture into a Mediterranean dive after lunching at The Ledbury? (It reads better in a fake British accent). Indeed, we resigned ourselves. It is surely an abysmal follow-up, but it’s midnight in Paris, and it’s the only thing open for miles. 

Though it is not a first choice, as the only choice, it could be worse. The Pirzola has twin lamb chops that are grilled to a gray, though not tough and is nicely perfumed where rosemary rests.

The Tavuk Sis is a pleasant surprise as the chicken is almost tender, not at all dry, and holds an enticing mix of spices. Both plates are piled with a tomato fried rice and a chopped tomato and cucumber mix, as well as a generous helping of salad with oil and vinegar and a pile of crispy potatoes.

You may not leave ecstatic, but you definitely won’t leave hungry. Le Cristal gets the job done. Not so unpleasant if they’re your only option, but maybe try to check for other options.

Gravlax - Culver City

I am so confused by this cafe. The ambiance is indescribable, a mix of familiarity and anonymity. It's like the Life Cafe from Rent crossed with the TV show Cheers, both boho-chic and shabby-chic; a guy on a laptop working in a dark corner, a couple guys playing cards at the bar. Shaken AND stirred, with a dash of the best of the West coast.

The food is different. I've only had Scandanavian in small glimpses, a hint here and there, or a whiff of inspiration. The Gravlax is their namesake, and it's easy to start with the most familiar. But this isn't really familiar. This the gravlax of gravlax. The salmon is superbly smooth, and it's hearty without being heavy, potent without being fishy, and raw without being overwhelming. We opted for the special, which places it over a bed of creamy potatoes and dill instead of toast. Best. Decision. EVER.

Gravlax goes over easy, but tread lightly around the Pickled Herring. This is one fish that can go very, very wrong. And when it's wrong, it's really, really wrong. A sigh of relief is breathed for the Gravlax iteration; this one is quite right, a visceral white with a palatable splash of brine.

The Ost & Et is a foreign name for meat and cheese, but I find nothing foreign about it. The Aged Gouda is GOOD, the Manchego is full of sheep, and the salami tastes like salami. Bresaola billows in thinly smoked sheets, and the duck prosciutto is half lavish lard, worth the extra charge. Solid stuff, no novelty here.

I have a few favorite fishes, and I'm a sucker for trout. The Smoked Rainbow Trout Spread is as smooth as the ice they probably fished it from, and it spreads on seamlessly, seafoamy and sweet. The house-cured red cabbage is a mouthful of my new favorite pickle.

The cafe still confuses me, but I cannot regret giving it a try. It is delightfully different, and when I opened this door, I opened a window of opportunity. My first taste of Scandinavian will not be my last, and considering Gravlax is LA's best...and LA's only, I will not be lax on my consumption of gravlax.