On a recent brainstorm with our staff, we thought, “wouldn’t it be great to have beverage pairing suggestions for some of our sandwiches?” What a delicious idea, especially since we have such a fantastic line-up of specialty Boylan’s sodas and our house made artisan iced teas and lemonades.

So, of course, we got to straight to work and sampled away (another great part of my job).  After our taste test, we came up with a selection of the best combinations that will be extraordinarily pleasing to your palate.

Since cherry and orange both taste great with the flavors of cranberry, goat cheese, and green apples, we highly suggest Boylan’s Black Cherry and Orange Cream Sodas with our Highway 128, a roasted chicken, Herbes de Provence marinated Cypress Grove’s goat cheese, ancho chili cranberry chutney, organic farmer’s market greens, green apple on wheat, and our Drunk N’Goat in Paris, a Herbes de Provence marinated Cypress Grove’s goat cheese, cranberry chutney, French brie, caramelized onions, green apple and organic farmer’s market greens on curcama hazelnut.

The dark, sweet, spicy flavors of cola and root beer are classic matches with beef and pork. (That’s why these sodas are also common ingredients in many meat marinade recipes.) We recommend trying the Steak BLT – carved steak, applewood bacon, romaine lettuce, roasted tomatoes, herb aioli, caramelized onions on toasted rustic white bread – alongside the Boylan’s Root Beer and Cola.

For a savory sandwich – especially one with chicken – a refreshing, fruity black iced tea makes a terrific match.  That’s why the Passionfruit Iced Tea from Sugarbird Sweets and Teas is perfect for the Chicken MBT, a sandwich with roasted chicken, Gioia fresh mozzarella, basil pesto, tomato, balsamic vinegar, and organic farmer’s market greens on ciabatta.

And, last but not least, tart and sweet citrus is a wonderful partner for fish, especially with tuna. Try our Success With Citrus (Tuna), an all white albacore tuna with citrus aioli, green apple, organic farmer’s market greens, tomato, red onion on buckwheat bread with our housemade Farmer’s Market Blood Orange Lemonade.

We hope you have a chance to enjoy these combinations soon, and we’ll let you know if we come across any new delicious findings.

The reason I bring it up is… this year’s is right around the corner. I am telling you, put it on your calendar – all caps – NOW. April 24, 12pm – 6pm in Downtown Los Angeles.  (Check their website, GrilledCheeseInvitational.Com for additional details).  If you are a food lover and a sandwich lover, you’re in for a good, good time. Last year there were something like 240 competitors, which means you’ll get to witness a lot of gooey, buttery, cheesy, crunchy sandwiches in the making. They’re rated on 4 factors, including a SPAZ factor. Definitely the best category, if you ask me. So which hot cheesy bite of goodness it’s gonna be this year? Go see for yourself.

Now that you’re sufficiently craving grilled cheese, here’s how to find some EXCELLENT ones. At Mendo’ of course.  Always on the menu is “Alex’s ‘You Create It’” with smoked gouda fondue, pepper jack, jalapenos, tomatoes with add on options like prime honey ham, applewood bacon, or seasonal roasted vegetables. Or try our spring menu’s “wow” sandwich, A French Onion Soup Melt, which will quench and saturate your taste buds with cheesiness, saltiness and richness.  Pretzel bread, smoked gouda, gruyere fondue, caramelized onions and prime honey ham. Need I say more?

Oh, and hey, are you curious about the next SANDWICH CHALLENGE??? Here’s a clue on what’s coming up next: how can you heat a sandwich with what’s a source of heat that’s neither mechanical, electrical, or fire?  Are you wracking your brains? Find out in the next sandwich guy challenge.

At Mendocino Farms, our house-made iced teas are a big seller. We love ‘em and our customers do too.  For a minute, we thought they couldn’t get any better, but thanks to our new vendor, they did!

We are happy to announce that this spring we have introduced new tea blends from our wonderful friends at Sugarbird Sweets and Teas, the Los Angeles based producer of artisan teas and sweets.   Kei Okumura, the owner and head creator of Sugarbird, is truly a tea artist, and all of her teas are organic and made from the highest quality ingredients, which are qualities we value so much at Mendo. Each variety is so thoughtfully crafted and unique; they really can’t be beat.

Working with Sugarbird has also made us feel extra special – aww – because Kei has been busy custom blending our very own Mendo-fied varieties, just for us.  We now have three types of organic ice teas for us to make iced brews from, and they are all becoming huge hits..  So far in our rotation, we have offered Verbena Green, a unique blend of green tea, citrus peels, lemongrass, and matcha; Black Tropical, a classic black tropical tea with passionfruit and cherry notes; and Rooibos Red, an organic caffeine free rooibos tea with hibiscus, rosehip, and calendula flower  Stop by, try a sample and see for yourself. We guarantee you’ll want the whole glass.

Outside of our locations, Sugarbird Sweets teas can be found online at SugarbirdSweets.com and at the Farmers Markets (Larchmont on Sundays, South Pasadena on Thursdays). The exclusive line include the likes of Zoe (did we mention that they all have such cute names too!?), a green tea with peppermint, cacao nibs and vanilla; Fiona, a red rooibos with hibiscus, rosehips and raspberry; and Karina, an earl gray with vanilla, plus many more.  And, like the name Sugarbird Sweets suggests, our friends also make extraordinary pastries and fancy marshmallows.  We highly recommended ALL of them.  Kei knows her confections!!

We are so lucky to be living in Southern California, where there is a Farmer’s Market being held somewhere in the city every day of the week.  Two of my favorites are Santa Monica’s, on Arizona and 2nd, held on Wednesday and Saturday, and Hollywood’s on Ivar and Selma, held on Sunday.

Since these markets also happen to be the largest and most popular in the area, a good plan will help you maximize your time and value.  Here is my list of tried and true Farmer’s Market tips that will help you do exactly that.

Prep Work:

Know that it’s cash only, even for restaurants like us! Make sure to stop at the ATM. 

Expect to pay about $30-40 a week, if you cook at home a lot, or less if not.

(Keep in mind that fruits are more expensive than vegetables.)

To haggle or not to haggle? Farmers typically price their items to sell so they are usually priced just right.

Pack up a few reusable totes for all of your purchases.

Parking:

Santa Monica – Free parking for up to 1 ½ hours is available at several public parking lots on blocks surrounding Arizona.

Hollywood – Since it’s on a Sunday, the meters along perimeter streets, like Sunset, Ivar and Cahuenga are free, but they go quickly. Even better is parking in the Arclight Cinemas’ lot (entrance on Ivar off of Sunset). Right next to an entrance point and costs around $4.

When To Go:

The markets are best right when they open, between 8am and 9am.  Not only is parking easier, but you’ll have the first pick while enjoying the quiet energy of the market getting ready for it’s busy day.

What To Buy:
Some of our favorites (and mainstays on the Mendocino Farms menus):

Jaime Farms and Underwood Farms – leeks, chard, beets, kale

Life’s a Choke Family Farms – cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus and artichokes

McGrath Farms – baby beets, Seascape strawberries, and winter greens

Coleman Farms – leafy greens, winter greens and herbs (when in season, custard apples and cherimoyas)

Tutti Fruitti Farms – heirloom tomatoes (summer) and butternut squash (winter)

Ha’s Farms – Fuji apples, Asian Pears

Stay in touch to let me know how it goes.  I’d also love to hear some of YOUR favorite Farmer’s Market tips and experiences too!

Post your comments or e-mail me at judy@mendocinofarms.com

Chef Judy

Dolce Forno Bakery, the newest addition to Celestino Drago’s group of restaurants and catering operations, is exactly one of these vendors. And, lucky for us, even though Dolce Forno’s initial plan was to a have a retail location only, their bread was in such high demand by Los Angeles’ food service industry, they’ve expanded their service to restaurants and hotels.

At Mendo, we use Dolce Forno’s breads for our sandwiches. We’re crazy about their Ciabatta, Buckwheat and Rustic White – all of which are a collaboration from kitchen geniuses, our very own Chef Judy and Dolce’s Chef Gavin. The breads are designed to be crusty on the outside and spongy and soft on the inside. Just the way we like it! You’ll seriously be blown away by the difference good bread makes – you’ll be compelled to drive straight to their bakery in Culver City.

In addition to the breads, we also offer their baked goods, like the chocolate tarts and mini Italian cookies, which are always on our Dessert Platter. And we’re head over heels in love with the cookies and the brownies. Actually, these items are made from Chef Judy’s special recipes, all of which are semi-secret. Our favorites are the chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, oatmeal chocolate chip and white chocolate chip with macadamia nuts and dried cranberries. We sell the cookies every day, so come over ASAP to treat yourself!

All of Dolce Forno’s products are available at the bakery in Culver City and at the retail counter at Enoteca Drago in Beverly Hills. Just a note: the Culver City spot is more like a production place. So, while the notion of chic, sexy bakery is appealing, this visit will definitely fall more under the category of “fun adventure.” Enjoy!

Dolce Forno
3828 Willat Avenue
Culver City, CA 90232
310.280.6004
www.dolcefornobakery.com

Enoteca Drago
410 North Canon Drive
Beverly Hills, CA
310.786.8236
www.celestinodrago.com