I Heart Love. (Or is that I Love Heart?) Eddie Lin's Valentine's Day Restaurant Recs and More. Only on KCRW's Good Food.
Whispering sweet nothings into the KCRW mic.
What do you get when you put Deep End Dining and Valentine’s Day together? A heart-shaped box full of chocolate covered cobra hearts, you say? Man, I wish! Don’t tease like that. Tease! Tease! Stop it! That’s the story of all my Valentine’s Days, past and present.
This Valentine’s Day will be different though. I guarantee it. Because this Valentine’s Day I’m taking my best friend Tex to Black Angus for some tenderloin and afterwards we’re catching a screening of Brokeback Mountain. (Just a little gay Oscar Awards humor.)
The real reason for a different Valentine’s Day this year is because KCRW’s Good Food show implored me to come over (momentarily) from the deep end to the shallow, more hospitable side of the foodie pool. The show’s producers asked me to recommend some Valentine’s Day restaurant alternatives to the usual candlelit cliché. I was and still am baffled by why they picked me for this critical assignment where the love and lust of so many hang in the balance. This is a serious romantic responsibility. I mean, I could ruin your love affair or even break up a marriage simply by suggesting the wrong place to eat. I may become the "homewrecking restaurant critic".
But it really is up to you. I’m just tossing out choices. Ultimately, it's your call. Will it be Italian or South Asian? Spago or Togo’s? Haute cuisine or hot dogs? Choose wisely or watch your relationship decompose and turn into dust right before your eyes…eh, sorry, that was a scene at the end of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
But please don’t make a wack decision. You know your girl or guy better than I do. I give you many places from which to choose, ranging from extravagant to affordable, with each recommendation paired with unique and amusing non-food experiences. My hope is to ignite some passion. If you get lucky because of my suggestions, tell me. If I got you some, I wanna know. However, if your relationship becomes dissolved as a result of my tips, then welcome to the club. It’s about time somebody else got her heart torn out and stomped on! You know, not everyone likes Valentine’s Day. Some of us really hate it. Like that one time when I met this girl on the internet, "From Russia with Lust dot com", I think. Anyway, she totally misrepresented herself and she didn't look anything like...
Ahem, sorry about the rant.
Valentiners, it’s a thin line between love and hate. I’m not bitter. What the world needs now is some romantic restaurant recs:
If you live in or are visiting Los Angeles for Valentine’s Day, please consider Eddie’s Valentine’s Day offerings via KCRW’s Good Food website.
You can also podcast the show when it's available.
P.S. I’m on the same episode of Good Food as the notorious “100x100 In N’ Out Burger.”
Get indigestion by watching the inspirational video. Everybody needs a hero. Willy and his friends are the Justice League to me.
Heartfelt thanks to Sarah, Pam, Kristen, and Elmo.
Comments
That's so nice of you to say. I haven't heard the show yet. I'm curious about these stinging nettle things and latex gloves...kinky!
Let me know if you do the karaoke!
I'm an old high school blast from the past! Ever since my fiancee took an extension course taught by the "Good Food" host, I've been listening to the show every Saturday morning on my way to various weekend chores. I really enjoyed hearing your V-day recommendations (a pity you didn't include any Orange County stuff! Have you forgotten your old 'hood?!). When I heard your name on the show, I then recognized your voice and I knew you were the same Ed Lin from my teenage years! Wow, you're a foodie now! Keep in touch! -Kevin (aka Kayvan). KevinRazban@cox.net
Eddie, if you and your wife are ever in Paris for Valentine's, you HAVE TO have boudin noir! But cook it at home, the last thing you want on Valentine's eve is to be harassed by the harsh, rude, assholes waiters that poison parisian retaurants...
The Best Valentine's night I had so far was at the Bloody Valentine party you threw in North Point about a decade ago...we were all single and so happy!!!
what is up, homeboy? i was wondering when people from high school would find me and, more amazingly, recognize me (since i gained weight). i'll email you. we should get together with some of my food blog groupies and burn a hotel room on the sunset strip. yeah, babeee!!
no, kevin is not going to tell you anything about my high school days. especially that time when i thought i could pull off that duran duran look that was so hot back in the day. i ended up looking like pee-wee herman instead. we especially won't elaborate about that cheerleader i lusted after so desperately. desperate being the operative word naturally. yeah, she and one of the football guys were already going out. that is sooo cliche. blah.
i heart parisian waiters. i never had trouble ordering a royale with cheese at le mickey dees.
you remember the blood valentine's day party?!! yeah, those were awesome days. my dream was to throw a party on alcatraz island but i guess the apartment at north point and bay was close enough. we were all very single and happy. a different kind of happy than today.
kisses.
LOL!
Great job Eddie. They really should have you on more often.
if i ever meet you in real life, i'll give you stinky tofu/balut breath you'll not soon forget!! you'll rue the day you ever read deep end dining. and i am NOT a romantic. i am a big, live tentacle eating monster!! fear me! i was forced by kcrw to do that valentine's special. they said i would never eat ambergris in this town again if i didn't do as i was told. i had no choice!!!!!!
i'm so misunderstood.
HAAA!