L.A.’s Legendary Restaurants by George Geary

"L.A.’s Legendary Restaurants" is filled with culinary history, backstories, and vintage photographs of the stars that ate at these famous dining spots.

L.A.’s Legendary Restaurants is filled with culinary history, backstories, menus and recipes, including vintage photographs of the stars that ate at these famous dining spots. Even if you do not remember places like The Brown Derby, Ma Maison, Spago and Trader Vic’s (Lowell and I ate there in the late 70’s) or hangouts, such as Hamburger Hamlet, the entertaining facts, trivia and profiles of the restaurants frequented by Hollywood stars, plus the recipes make for a very enjoyable cookbook.

Over 100 recipes for appetizers, entrees, desserts, and drinks are included, such as: the Moscow Mule (Cock ‘n Bull); Lobster Mousse (L’Ermitage); Cobb Salad (Brown Derby); Braised Short Ribs (Musso & Frank Grill); Coq Au Vin (Taix); Indonesian Rack of Lamb (Trader Vic’s); Roasted Wild Goose with Apricot Stuffing (Le Dome); and Coconut Cream Pie (Bullocks Wilshire Tea Room). Reading the menus provide a glimpse of the eating styles and prices.

Award-winning chef and educator George Geary, who lives in Los Angeles, is a former pastry chef for the Walt Disney Company and a certified culinary professional, who was recently chosen as the Culinary Educator of the Year by the International Association of Culinary Professionals. He has been a critic and/or judge for ABC’s The Taste with Anthony Bourdain, The American Baking Competition with Jeff Foxworthy, Hell’s Kitchen, Supermarket Superstar, and many other popular television shows. Geary is the author of L.A.’s Legendary Restaurants, as well as nine cookbooks, including The Cheesecake Bible, The Complete Baking Cookbook, and 125 Best Cheesecake Recipes. He is presently the featured chef on the San Diego Living television show on the CW Network.

Here is a recipe for Hobo Steak from Chasen’s to try:
Serves 2

Dave Chasen developed this unusual treatment for New York steak, which produces a rich, tender, and memorable dish.

1 large New York steak, cut 3 inches thick
Freshly ground black pepper
3 pieces Applewood-smoked bacon
1 cup sea salt
2 tbsp. water
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 lb. loaf sourdough French bread, sliced ¼ inch thick and toasted

1. Season the steak with pepper. Wrap the sides with the bacon and secure with kitchen string. Place in a baking pan.

2. In a bowl, combine salt and water to make a paste. Mound about three-fourths of the mixture on top of the steak, covering the meat completely.  Place the steak under the broiler for 8 to 10 minutes.

3. Carefully remove the salt crust; try to keep it in one piece. Turn the steak over and place the crust on top.  (If the crust breaks, mend it with the remaining  one-fourth of the salt mixture.) Broil the steak again for another 8 to 10 minutes; the salt crust will become dark and dry-looking.

4. Discard the bacon and the salt crust. Let the meat stand for 15 minutes, then slice on the diagonal.

5. In a large skillet, melt the butter until foamy and lightly browned. Place a few pieces of the meat in the butter and cook to desired doneness, about 1 minute on each side. Place each slice of meat on a piece of toast and spoon some of the hot butter over it.

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Recipe courtesy of:
Santa Monica Press / October 2016
L.A.’S LEGENDARY RESTAURANTS
By George Geary

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