review: Nook Bistro

 

by Amy Swanton Mills

Nook Bistro is aptly named.  It is situated in a deep, dark corner of a mini-mall, which also holds a Western Bagel, a nail salon and a dry cleaner.  This is the kind of place that you don’t just stumble upon, but once you’ve found it, you return frequently. 

The décor is simple and modern, making good use of concrete floors, exposed beams and ductwork, and large mirrors.  You feel like you’re eating in a loft, which is unexpected considering the location. For a small space they did a great job making it feel open and airy. The noise level is on the boisterous side, but it isn’t intolerable.  There is a large, communal table down the center of the restaurant, which is a little less intimate and noisy, but the tables around the perimeter afford a quieter experience.  

Nook has something on the menu for everyone, except maybe that friend that’s always on a diet.  The dishes are straightforward and hearty, and are aptly described as being “American Bistro.” I’ve eaten here many times, and always have to order the Shitake and Gruyere Bread Pudding or the Macaroni and Cheese sides.  They are really rich, but so delicious I can’t resist them!  For a main course, I usually go for the Maple Mustard Glazed Ribeye, which uses Meyer Ranch certified humane ribeye, and comes garnished with baked apples and crispy onion rings.  I always save a little room for dessert, which includes several decadent choices. 

They do serve wine and beer as well as soft drinks.  The wine and beer list is eclectic and complements the food nicely.  They have great coffee and tea selections for after dinner, but I’m usually too full to partake!  Nook is a great little restaurant that really strives to please and do the right thing where food is concerned.  I can only hope that more people will make the right choice and support places like Nook, rather than the big chains that serve sub-par processed food at the same price point.  

For more information visit their site at http://www.nookbistro.com

review: Hearth in the Cottonwoods

 

I try to eat as organically and sustainably as possible.  I shop carefully at the market, my husband goes to the Farmer’s Market biweekly, and he’s even started a garden so we can have fresh fruits and vegetables right in our own backyard.  We’ve improved our cooking so that we can have friends over and serve edible, and sometimes even delicious, organic meals.  However, we don’t want to turn into hermits and do find the occasion to eat out once and a while. We eat at variety of places, but had yet to find a restaurant that was truly all about organic and sustainable food.  That was, until I discovered Hearth in the Cottonwoods.

Hearth in the Cottonwoods is about two hours north of Los Angeles, in Los Alamos, California.  The restaurant is housed in the Full of Life Flatbread production facility, which produces organic flatbread pizzas throughout the week.  It is rustic, warm and thoroughly inviting.   This is the kind of “organic” restaurant you can take a Velveeta-eating friend to without scaring them.  They don’t take reservations and you don’t need to worry about your attire.  It is casual and all about the food.

Their explanation about their flatbread and menu is simple: “Food made by hand and without pretense or fashion.”  They are open for dinner only Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings.  Friday and Saturday feature a simple menu of soup, salads, flatbreads and desserts to choose from.  Their “Sunday Supper” features a different menu, which offers a more varied selection and can include appetizers and non-flatbread entrées. 

I recently visited Hearth in the Cottonwoods on a Sunday.  I had reviewed the menu before we got there, and was very excited.  My husband was ecstatic.  We weren’t disappointed.  We split several dishes, but the standouts were the tomato sauce and cheese flatbread, squash ravioli, and a rich and delicious brownie with vanilla ice cream.  The flavors in the squash ravioli were vibrant and rich.  When we inquired about the ingredients in the sauce, as it was so delicious, we were told it was simply yellow tomatoes, olive oil, and salt.  I think this is testament to the quality and freshness of the ingredients.  The ravioli also contained nettles, which was a unique touch.  We took a few pieces of our flatbread home, which inspired us to purchase the frozen version at our local Whole Foods on our next trip to the market.  It was good, but definitely not a substitute for a fresh flatbread right from the hearth.

This truly was the kind of meal I had to tell everyone I knew about.  I blogged about it, I emailed friends the website, we discussed having my husband’s birthday there.  That was the kind of impression it made on us!   I get so tired of all the over-hyped Los Angeles restaurants.  I mean, most buy in bulk from suppliers such as Sysco, not farmers, even the so-called “fancy” restaurants.  If you want to go for purely “organic” fare, you’re mostly stuck with some sort of specialty vegan or rawgeterian joint, which really isn’t what I’m into.  This is why I feel Hearth in the Cottonwoods is such a find.  They not only serve one of the best restaurant meals I’ve had in a long time, they do it by cooking with organic ingredients sourced from local farmers and craftspeople.  

My only negative comment on this restaurant is that I wish it were closer!  Why can’t more Los Angeles area restaurants mimic the local, organic, sustainable approach taken by Hearth in the Cottonwoods and Full of Life Flatbread? 

For more information about Hearth in the Cottonwoods and Full of Life Flatbread go to their website.