MIKE ON TV: Talking "Saturday Night Live" with France's Canal+ (Dubbed in French!)

Coincidentally, my hair here looks like Ed Grimley -- one of the characters Martin Short brought to "Saturday Night Live" during his brief tenure here. But hey, here's something different: Me talking about "SNL," but dubbed in French for a Canal+ segment. (I also love that apparently "Twitter" in French is "Tweeter." See above.)

Watch it below! I come in at about 3:45.

Le Saturday Night Live fête ses 40 ans - Le Tube du 04/10

Rate-A-Restaurant #304: Church & State

Restaurant: Church & State

Location: 1850 Industrial St., #100 (Downtown)

Type of restaurant: French






We stipulated: For our anniversary, Maria and I had tickets to see Invisible Cities at Union Station. But the show didn't start until 9:30 -- so we had plenty of time for dinner. I've been wanting to try Church & State for years, and this seemed like the time to splurge. The restaurant only had an opening at 6:30, and only on the patio, but the timing worked out.



They stipulated: "The cuisine is traditional French Bistro fare, created using only seasonal produce of the highest quality, and products from 100% humanely raised, treated, and naturally fed animals: 100% grass-fed, pasture raised beef and lamb, cage-free poultry, sustainable seafood."



What we ordered: Moules Marinieres (p.e.i. mussels, fennel, shallots, cream, french fries, aioli; $19); Os a Moelle (roasted marrow bone, marinated radish salad; $15); Tarte aux Courge (butternut squash, brie, arugula, fried sage; $19); Poulet Roti (roasted organic 1/2 chicken, fall root vegetables, cipollini onions, brussels sprouts, rosemary jus; $26).



High point:  Maria loved the bone marrow, but that's not my thing. I enjoyed the mussels, perhaps because I scarfed the fries. The tarte was rich but nice, while the chicken was fine.



Low point: As we sat outdoors, a man came up to us and from the street and I gave him some food from our table after he asked; but then wouldn't leave us. It made for an unfortunate several minutes; later, the server let us know this was a fairly common occurrence at the restaurant. But no acknowledgement from management, and we didn't say anything. Still, it cast a pall over the dinner.



Overall impression: Nice space and accessible menu for folks like me that normally aren't into French cuisine. We probaby ordered a bit too much; perhaps one less item (two appetizers and one main course, perhaps.) The desserts look great, but we didn't order any.



Will we return: Possibly, Church & State is a splurge that you don't get to do too often. I also have a bit of a bad taste in my mouth for how they handled our situation.

Rate-A-Restaurant #290: Ba

Restaurant: Ba

Location: 5100 York Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90042 (Highland Park)

Type of restaurant: French

We stipulated: A nice place that offered fine wine and good food to catch up with a friend.

They stipulated: Open for dinner Tuesday to Sunday, plus Sunday brunch.

 

What we ordered: Potato Leek Soup and Ahi Tartar for the appetizers, Coq Au Vin and Steak Frites for the entrees, and a slice of wedding cake for dessert. And a bottle of Bordeaux wine.

 

High point: The Coq Au Vin. To be honest, we weren't expecting much because this dish never lives up to expectations at other restaurants. But at Ba, this tender, off-the-bone chicken was flavorful and delicious. The mashed parsnips were really soft and creamy too. For dessert, the slice of wedding cake was exactly what you'd want if you were at an actual wedding. It had a hint of lemon and the buttercream was divine.

Also, the service was nice. Our server hovered just enough so that my friend Andrea and I could catch up from the last time we had seen each other.

Low point: The Ahi Tartar was just okay.

Overall impression: This ten-table restaurant is a nice find. I'm not sure how busy it gets on the weekend but it was perfect for a quiet week-night get together with friends. Being open late at night is a plus too and there were a few people that were welcomed as they came in well after 10 pm.

Chance we'll go back: Yes.

Rate-A-Restaurant #279: Taix

Restaurant: Taix



Location: 1911 W. Sunset Blvd. (Echo Park)

Type of restaurant: French





We stipulated: As you know, I'm always looking for historic, classic L.A. haunts to check out -- and if there's food or beverage there, even better. Taix has intrigued me for years, but believe it or not, I had never stepped inside until finally, friends of ours invited us to join them for dinner.

They stipulated: For its 85th anniversary, Taix was offering a special "traditional roast chicken dinner" (what Taix is famous for) through the month of August from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Perfect for the kids too.





What we ordered: Several orders of the "traditional roast chicken dinner," which included soup du jour, for just $8.95. Also: Escargots de Bourgogne ($13.95) and calamari ($11.95). Dessert: Mousse au chocolat noir ($5.95) and creme brulee ($5.95).





High point: The experience, including our waiter, 77-year-old Bernard Inchauspe, an institution at Taix (and, it turns out, a nearby neighbor of ours). Bernard's been with Taix since arriving in this country from France in 1962! Imagine that. He's been welcoming customers at the restaurant since the Kennedy administration. (Read more about him here.)

Low point: The escargots was great -- and the kids loved it, believe it or not -- but you can skip the calamari.





Overall impression: "Offering good food at a good value" is their motto at Taix, and has been since they first opened downtown in 1927 (when the roast chicken dinner was 50 cents). That's still true today, and the restaurant (current location opened in 1962) alone is worth a visit. According to Taix, the third-generation owner "continues to ensure the character of the restaurant remains unchanged, and contnues to make it a destination for both the long-time customers and the current Hipsters that are reinventing the Downtown and Echo Park areas of Los Angeles." I love that (a) they so readily acknowledge the hipster onslaught in Echo Park, and (b) they capitalize "Hipster."



Chance we'll go back: We'll be back.