Lesley Balla
Website:
About Me:
Los Angeles-based freelance food writer.
Twitter:
Subscribe To:
My KCET.org Activities
-
Umamicatessen, the multi-restaurant-in-one concept in downtown L.A., is not a far cry from the restaurant that lived in that space from the 1940s through the 1970s: Berliner's.
-
We will never walk the red carpet in front of the Kodak Theater, nor will we attend any of the splashy after parties to nibble and nosh with celebrities. But we can look to the caterers who feed them for snack ideas.
-
This Valentine's Day, think outside of that box of chocolates -- cook a meal full of aphrodisiac foods.
-
For National Homemade Soup Day on February 4, the first thing that comes to mind is the story of stone soup.
-
Where to find the best carrot cakes on this important national holiday, as well as a recipe for our current dessert crush.
-
Seeking out the best up-and-coming pinot noir producers in a sea of pinot noir is no easy feat, but we did just that after sipping and swirling around Santa Monica's Pinot Days.
-
The furikake kettle corn is the perfect example of Choi's mix of bold yet familiar flavors... It's a wildly addictive snack that your Super Bowl guests with devour in seconds.
-
If there's one thing we've learned by now, it's that sriracha makes everything taste better. Punch up the classic Super Bowl snack with it this Sunday.
-
You don't have to drive north of San Francisco to find the state's best wines -- one of the largest and fastest-growing regions is Paso Robles, less than a four-hour drive from Los Angeles.
-
We may not get blustery winter weather, but we do get chilly on those 60 degree days and 40 degree nights. Really, we'd find any excuse to sip a hot buttered rum.
-
We've found five fried chicken sandwich alternatives -- even better than Chick-fil-A -- to try around L.A.
-
From Italian pannettone to Swedish Lucia buns, here are five of our seasonal favorites.
-
We're so lucky to have a slew of talented local artisans making hand-crafted, unique and delicious products that anyone will appreciate, especially the foodie love of your life.
-
There aren't a lot of people who would attempt, or could stomach, tasting 30 burgers over the course of a few days, but that's exactly what the chef and restaurateur did.
-
Residents of Morro Bay have been harvesting oysters for over 100 years, and this farm may have perfected the art.
-
Theo Stephan left a marketing job in Hollywood to move to Santa Barbara, and a decade later, she's producing award-winning extra virgin olive oils.
-
Los Angeles feels like ground zero for health fast-casual restaurant concepts. There are many--M Café, Tender Greens and Veggie Grill, to name a few--but one that is multiplying at a pretty fast clip is Lemonade.
-
There are many reasons to love West Hollywood's Dominick's and Little Dom's in Los Feliz: chef Brandon Boudet's homey, often seasonal American and Italian menus; straightforward, hand-crafted cocktails; those Sunday and Monday $15 dinners (with $12 bottles of house...
-
Fig + Olive is mammoth by restaurant standards, with olive trees in the main dining room, an olive oil tasting bar in the front, and a large patio. But one look around, and you'll realize it's all about the olive oil here.
-
It's no secret that Suzanne Goin knows her way around a summer menu. At Lucques, dishes change with each season--each week--depending on what she and her chefs find at the farmers' markets.
-
While you can get a bowl of tabouli and great shawarma at West Hollywood's new Mezze, chef Micah Wexler is quick to point out that his isn't a Middle Eastern restaurant.
-
If you've driven through Santa Barbara wine country, or at least saw the movie Sideways, there's a good chance you've heard of Hitching Post II in Buellton. The restaurant, owned by chef Frank Ostini since 1986 (the original opened in Casmalia in 1952), is a must-stop for grilled specialties, from Angus steaks to ostrich, quail and vegetables, and great wine.
-
We're like you: We can't help but buy that entire flat of beautiful bright-red strawberries at the farmers' market, but when we get home, we can't find enough uses for them.
-
Since July is National Blueberry Month, a holiday we're more than happy to honor, we've been on the hunt for some of the best blueberry desserts in town.
-
At some point this holiday weekend--and this summer--you will be around a grill, and a burger will be thrust at you. So why not make things a little interesting: Try a lamb burger.
-
The philosophy at Forage Restaurant in Silver Lake is simple: the best locally grown produce and ingredients around, even from home-growers.
-
There's nothing better than a Bloody Mary on the weekend--or anytime, really--and FIG Restaurant at the Fairmont Santa Monica knows this.
-
An ingredient in the Beer and a Ball, one of my favorite cocktails at John Sedlar's new Beverly Boulevard restaurant Playa, is listed as "Hops Infused Champagne" on the menu, but it's actually the Champagne of Beers, Miller High Life. Who knew?
-
With so many cooking classes around town this summer, you can finally develop your outdoor cooking prowess, and maybe even get lunch, to boot.
-
The ratatouille is a huge hit. It's full of summer squash, tomatoes, eggplant and onion drizzled in herbs and olive oil--basically summer on a plate.
Recent Actions from Lesley Balla
No recommendations yet.
-
Umamicatessen, the multi-restaurant-in-one concept in downtown L.A., is not a far cry from the restaurant that lived in that space from the 1940s through the 1970s: Berliner's.
-
We will never walk the red carpet in front of the Kodak Theater, nor will we attend any of the splashy after parties to nibble and nosh with celebrities. But we can look to the caterers who feed them for snack ideas.
-
This Valentine's Day, think outside of that box of chocolates -- cook a meal full of aphrodisiac foods.
-
For National Homemade Soup Day on February 4, the first thing that comes to mind is the story of stone soup.
-
Where to find the best carrot cakes on this important national holiday, as well as a recipe for our current dessert crush.
-
Seeking out the best up-and-coming pinot noir producers in a sea of pinot noir is no easy feat, but we did just that after sipping and swirling around Santa Monica's Pinot Days.
-
The furikake kettle corn is the perfect example of Choi's mix of bold yet familiar flavors... It's a wildly addictive snack that your Super Bowl guests with devour in seconds.
-
If there's one thing we've learned by now, it's that sriracha makes everything taste better. Punch up the classic Super Bowl snack with it this Sunday.
-
You don't have to drive north of San Francisco to find the state's best wines -- one of the largest and fastest-growing regions is Paso Robles, less than a four-hour drive from Los Angeles.
-
We may not get blustery winter weather, but we do get chilly on those 60 degree days and 40 degree nights. Really, we'd find any excuse to sip a hot buttered rum.
