Chickpea to Cook

Nothing tops fresh snow powder and clear skies for the ski and snowboard crowd in Mammoth Lakes. But a slice of bread from Schat’s Bakery takes a close second.

This bakery was around before the ski lifts and winter crowds from Los Angeles flooded the slopes of this mountain village in the California Sierra Nevadas. Locals and out-of-towners alike line up for fresh off-the- hearth bread, pastries, cookies, and desserts.

My recommendations: try the chili cheese bread, 7-grain wheat loaf, and coconut macaroons. The carved turkey sandwich was among the best I’ve ever had (juicy, off-the-bone turkey on your choice of bread, with tomato, onions, sprouts, mayo, and dijon mustard). The only disappointment I’ve encountered so far was the egg croissant sandwich.

Schat’s Bakery has two locations:

Mammoth
3305 Main St., Mammoth Lakes, CA
760/934-6055 or 760/934-4203

Bishop
763 N. Main Street, Bishop, CA

Call it my own food star rating. I’ve decided that when I have a strong reaction, good or bad, towards particular foods or flavors, I will be categorizing the subject in one of two well-thought-out, scientific categories:

Scrumptious or Shenasty.

You can see the dishes/restaurants that are branded with my judgment…just follow the links in the nav bar under either category.

And I know that “shenasty” isn’t a word you’ll find in the dictionary, but if Rachel Ray can annoy everyone with “Yummo” after each bite, then this is my revenge.

It’s been called the best pizza joint in New York, but will it win the hearts of Angelinos too?

Joe’s Pizza is now open for business in the one building with a brick facade in Santa Monica–on 2nd and Broadway (how fitting). You can find Joe himself working the oven–you’ll know him when you see him–he is unmistakenly New York Italian.

The menu is short, and sweet and to the point. You won’t find BBQ chicken pizza with honey wheat crust, or even spaghetti or calzones for that matter.

Just unadulterated pizza pleasure.

I paid a visit to Joe’s the first weekend he was open here in my ‘hood of Santa Monica. If Joe serves the best pizza in New York, then that means it’s the best pizza in the world.

It even has Kevin Bacon’s recommendation.

When Maxim asked Kevin Bacon what his last meal would be, he replied, “A slice of pizza from Joe’s on Carmine Street in New York City.”

We waited 15 minutes for a fresh pizza to come out of the oven. Joe drizzled olive oil on our slices before handing them over. The crust was a golden brown, crispy but soft.

“Here ya go, sweetheart,” he said.

For a truly authentic New York experience, do not miss the White Pie (four cheeses and no tomato sauce). When you bite into that melted dollop of ricotta, you’ll know why Joe’s has received the Big Apple accolades it has since its inception in 1975. Wash it all down with a glass bottle of Coke.

Chickpea says: Scrumptious