This Week's Appetizing News - Bacon, Seafood, and Stuart

Happy Spring everyone!

I have been Facebook-ing about having spring fever so before it sets in once and for all today, I wanted to send this dispatch to keep in touch! We have just a few quick notes for you, so here we go!

We have so many bacon fans on our tours, and in general in life, do we not!? So if you are a local, or you're planning a visit to LA soon, we think you need to know about where to eat some of the best bacon in town. This tip comes from our fabulous friend Chrysta Wilson of Kiss My Bundt Bakery (whose Maple-Bacon and Chocolate-Bacon cakes are phenomenal, by the way!) ~ she considers herself obsessed with what I'm about to tell you, and now I can give excellent testimony as well. Little Next Door on West 3rd Street offers breakfast 7 days a week. Their bacon is so incredibly delicious because, they buy it whole and fresh, from an organic farm, and slice it themselves. Nicolas Meschin, the charming owner there, told us the other day that the larger the quantity you buy, the better quality you get. His chef from Switzerland, Nicolas Peters, is all about buying and serving only the best. What you need to know, is that it is gorgeous on the plate. Cooked to perfection, its almost-curly presentation is like no cooked bacon I have ever seen. On my plate it sat next to two perfectly prepared farm-fresh organic eggs and a small portion of their potatoes gratin, so I have a second-to-last comment: Be sure to use the fresh baguette slices on the side, to mop up every last bit! Last comment: Rise-and-Shine special, Monday-Friday 8-10am, egg dishes are 30% off!

And while on the topic of what's delicious about spring, I had a wonderful conversation with Bob Tusquellas (the Bob of Bob's Doughnuts, Tusquellas Fish and Oyster Bar, and Seafood Market) the other morning. I am proud and privileged to pass his good news onto you. Coming next week or so, there will be a brand-new crab sandwich, and also a fresh ("incredible", says the man) salmon burger on the menu at Tusquellas. That's all we have on that for now, stay tuned for a gushing report (like the one above, about the bacon), at a later date!

Lisa and I were just talking about how proud and very pleased we are to have such fantastic tour leaders to represent our company! Trish Procetto and Mike Albanese do such great work to show off both Old Pasadena, and Farmers Market with 3rd Street, while taking excellent care of our wonderful tour guests. Now, with some more pride and joy, I am equally pleased to introduce Stuart Popkin, who is our newest tour leader. He is a native of Los Angeles, his 4 aunties really lived in a 4-plex home in the Fairfax District and, he used to visit Kiddieland so, that neighborhood is very close to his heart! When he is not offering stellar hospitality as a tour guide around town on other contract assignments (and now with us), he is a resident expert at "Relax the Back" and, a secret shopper! He appreciates fine dining and the rich culture and arts our great city boasts, and we know he'll be a great addition to our team. He will begin hosting our LA tour this Sunday, and we are very excited to welcome him to Melting Pot Food Tours!

Our April e-zine/newsletter is due up in the next week or two, we will let you know when to expect it in an email box near you! For now, please enjoy a beautiful week celebrating the joy of spring, ideally sharing fabulous foods around the table with those you love!

Until next time, I remain ...

Diane Scalia
Your Tour Maestra