MARVELOUS MENUS DIG INTO THE TOP 20 DISHES OF 2003.Byline: - Larry Lipson Picking the Top 20 dishes of the year didn't seem as easy for 2003. It appeared that there were fewer innovations, more of the safer, familiar recipes. Consequently, many of the best plates experienced at restaurants last year have been excellent renditions of items we already know about, dishes even sandwiches that can be found elsewhere, but lack certain touches. Many of them are inexpensive and emanate from small ethnic kitchens. Also, the merit of the one dish picked does not necessarily reflect the total output of the restaurant. And a note of caution: Don't rush over to a restaurant for one of these honored dishes without checking first to see whether it's going to be on the menu. Restaurants generally have no qualms about changing things from one day to the next. And even if it's still on the menu, sometimes a new chef will tinker with the original recipe. Nevertheless, here are those dishes experienced while reviewing in 2003 that achieved star status. A.O.C. Address: 8022 W. Third St., Los Angeles. Phone: (323) 653-6359. Cuisine: New American. Dish of the year: Salt cod and potato gratin. BASTIDE Bastides are fortified[1] new towns built in medieval Languedoc, Gascony and Aquitaine during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, although some authorities count Mont-de-Marsan and Montauban, which was founded in 1144,[2] as the first bastides. Address: 8475 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles. Phone: (323) 651-5950. Cuisine: French. Dish of the year: Veal daube For other uses of "Daub(e)", see Daub. Daube is a classic French stew made with cubed beef braised in wine, vegetables, garlic, and herbes de provence. Although most modern recipes call for red wine, a minority call for white wine, and the earliest recorded daube recipes call . BOLLYWOOD CAFE Address: 11101 Ventura Blvd., Studio City. Phone: (818) 508-8400. Cuisine: Indian. Dish of the year: Fish (mahi-mahi) vindaloo vin·da·loo n. pl. vin·da·loos 1. A blend of red chilis, tamarind, and other spices, such as ginger, cumin, and mustard seeds. 2. Any of various dishes of southern and central India made with this spice blend. . BONANO'S CHICKEN Address: 8363 Reseda Blvd., Northridge. Phone: (818) 775-1373. Cuisine: Peruvian. Dish of the year: Rotisserie chicken. CAFE BAZEL Address: 17620 Ventura Blvd., Encino. Phone: (818) 728-0846. Cuisine: New American. Dish of the year: Chicken chimichurri chim·i·chur·ri n. A sauce made of chopped fresh parsley seasoned with garlic, pepper, and herbs and bound with oil and vinegar. [American Spanish.] sandwich. CAFE CAROLINA Address: 17934 Ventura Blvd., Encino. Phone: (818) 881-8600. Cuisine: Italian. Dish of the year: Gnocchi gnoc·chi pl.n. Dumplings made of flour, semolina, or potatoes, boiled or baked and served with grated cheese or a sauce. [Italian, pl. with gorgonzola. THE DIP Address: 14333 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks. Phone: (818) 501-1850. Cuisine: American. Dish of the year: Lamb French-dipped sandwich with side of mashed potatoes. KOBA Address: 7608 Reseda Blvd., Reseda. Phone: (818) 757-7078. Cuisine: Korean. Dish of the year: Jukumi samkyupsal (baby squid with marinated spicy pork). LA CABANITA Address: 3445 N. Verdugo Road, Glendale. Phone: (818) 957-2711. Cuisine: Mexican. Dish of the year: Caldo de pollo Caldo de pollo is a common Latin-American soup that consists of chicken and vegetables. What makes this soup different from many other versions of chicken soup is that Caldo de pollo uses whole chicken pieces instead of chopped or shredded chicken. (Mexico City-style chicken soup). LAS DUNAS Address: 20133 Saticoy St., Canoga Park. Phone: (818) 882-4747. Cuisine: Peruvian. Dish of the year: Aguadito de pollo (cilantro, pea and green bell pepper chicken soup with rice, potato, sweet potato and carrots). NOE Address: Omni Los Angeles Hotel, California Plaza, 251 S. Olive St., Los Angeles. Phone: (213) 356-4100. Cuisine: International. Dish of the year: Striped bass with braised braise tr.v. braised, brais·ing, brais·es To cook (meat or vegetables) by browning in fat, then simmering in a small quantity of liquid in a covered container. fennel and lop LOP - A language based on first-order logic. ["SETHEO - A High-Perormance Theorem Prover for First-Order Logic", Reinhold Letz et al, J Automated Reasoning 8(2):183-212 (1992)]. chong (Chinese sausage). OASIS Address: 611 N. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles. Phone: (323) 939-8900. Cuisine: International. Dish of the year: Sweet little clams and ham in a chile-spiced broth. RANCH HOUSE BBQ & GRILL Address: 18621 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana. Phone: (818) 774-9400. Cuisine: Barbecue. Dish of the year: Full rack of baby-back ribs a la tomatillo. RESTAURANT AT THE GETTY CENTER Address: 1200 Getty Center Drive, Brentwood. Phone: (310) 440-6810. Cuisine: New American. Dish of the year: Lamb three ways. ROMAN'S WORLD OF SANDWICHES Address: 15100 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks. Phone: (818) 205-1010. Cuisine: International. Dish of the year: Slow-roasted tri-tip. SONA SONA State of the Nation Address (Philippines) SONA Service-Oriented Network Architecture (Cisco) SONA Suggested Optimal Daily Nutritional Allowances Address: 401 N. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles. Phone: (310) 659-7708. Cuisine: New American. Dish of the year: Chestnut-stuffed agnolotti Agnolotti ('priest hats' in Italian) is a kind of ravioli made with a small round piece of flattened pasta dough, folded over with a meat and vegetable stuffing inside. They are prepared by either poaching them or by browning them in a frying pan with butter. and aged parmesan with veal sweetbreads Noun 1. sweetbreads - edible glands of an animal sweetbread organs, variety meat - edible viscera of a butchered animal and roasted fennel. SUPER WOK Address: 5418 Reseda Blvd., Tarzana. Phone: (818) 342-6383. Cuisine: Chinese. Dish of the year: Special beef steak of sliced, glazed filet mignon. SUSHI HOUSE OF TAKA ta·ka n. See Table at currency. [Bengali  Address: 4607 Van Nuys Blvd., Sherman Oaks. Phone: (818) 784-8777. Cuisine: Japanese. Dish of the year: J-scallop sushi. TORAFUKU Address: 10914 Pico Blvd., West Los Angeles
Phone: (310) 470-0014. Cuisine: Japanese. Dish of the year: Dried baby anchovy-topped touban-yaki rice bowl with sansho pepper and poached egg. Z PIZZA Address: 19300 Rinaldi St., Northridge. Phone: (818) 363-2600. Cuisine: Italian-American. Dish of the year: Napoli pizza. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Ranch House BBQ & Grill in Tarzana offers a full rack of baby-back ribs a la tomatillo. Joel P. Lugavere |
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