Pine & Crane Review
When I moved to Los Angeles 150 years ago, there was no excuse to go downtown except to dip your toe on the outer edges by visiting The Music Center. And if you wanted a pre-or post-theatre meal, it was Kendall’s down below, or you scooted back to the safety of more familiar areas. Over the years, I’ve found a zillion other reasons to explore DTLA, and I still consider it an adventure every time. So, before the show at the Ahmanson this weekend, Foodie Friend #4 and I eschewed the nearby restaurant fare and ventured farther down Grand Ave. to a neighborhood we’d never seen and a happening-looking Taiwanese eatery.
Pine & Crane was a delight from the first moment we turned onto Grand & 11th St. There was an easy, weekend-in-a-city vibe to the neighborhood, surprising considering its proximity to the Convention Center and LA Live. The streets were tree-lined and immaculate, and the open-air, industrial-chic restaurant overlooked a small park.
And, yes Virginia, there was street parking!
But most delightful of all: the menu. crispy rice cakes served with toothsome, earthy mushrooms, steamed and pan-fried pork buns, Sha Gua noodles with fried shallots dressed simply in tangy vinegar & soy sauce, and a soupy-but-hearty eggplant & basil dish over rice were all excellent and fun for us to try to deconstruct. I would have to say, though, that the smartest choices we made were the marinated cucumber appetizer and the outrageously fabulous forbidden rice pudding for dessert. The former proved to elevate anything paired with it, and the latter, well, I’m still dreaming of the next time I can have it; slightly chewy black rice in a subtle coconut bath topped with mochi-style nuggets of sweet potato; the perfect not-too-sweet finish.
Other highlights: serve yourself sparkling water from a tap, which I will be adding to my Christmas list. Brilliant! They also offer wines, specialty cocktails and an extensive tea selection.
I love downtown, but I wish Pine & Crane lived in my neighborhood!
Logistical note: It’s a casual spot where you order at the counter, but the food is delivered to you by people who can answer all your nosy culinary questions!
The tomato behind The Three Tomatoes.
Cheryl Benton, aka the “head tomato” is founder and publisher of The Three Tomatoes, a digital lifestyle magazine for “women who aren’t kids”. Having lived and worked for many years in New York City, the land of size zero twenty-somethings, she was truly starting to feel like an invisible woman. She created The Three Tomatoes just for the fun of it as the antidote for invisibility and sent it to 60 friends. Today she has thousands of friends and is chief cheerleader for smart, savvy women who want to live their lives fully at every age and every stage. She is the author of the novel, "Can You See Us Now?" and co-author of a humorous books of quips, "Martini Wisdom." Because she's lived a long time, her full bio won't fit here. If you want the "blah, blah, blah", read more. www.thethreetomatoes.com/about-the-head-tomato
