THINGS I ATE: Bites at Badmaash, Rattlesnake at Wurstküche

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There’s not enough Indian food in Los Angeles. We have oodles of Korean restaurants (no complaints here), and there’s a Mexican spot on nearly every corner. Thai, Vietnamese, and Japanese are also omnipresent, but alas, when it comes to Indian, our options are few and far between. My go-to place is Crown of India, located in a scenic strip mall often populated with vagrant trannies and the occasional meth head. Half the thrill is wondering if your car will still be there when you emerge from thali paradise.

Therefore, when I heard that Bread & Butter PR would be hosting the launch of their digital division at Badmaash, a new Indian gastropub Downtown, I was totally stoked to go. I’m always on the prowl for Indian food in this city, and even though the party would not promise to be a full-on meal, even just a few tasty hors d’oeuvres could make my evening. And so with my friend Kambra in tow, we headed to Badmaash where I proceeded to take pictures of everything BUT the food. I’m a real pro like that. I guess I’ll just have to go back!

Pics of Badmaash and bonus stuff from Wurstküche after the jump…

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Inside Badmaash. A very serious accent wall.

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Meanwhile, a Twitter feed scrolls on another wall.

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Helpful bartenders serve very tasty Malbec. What type of Malbec? Oh, you’re adorable for asking. Of course I took no notes. Nor did I take any pictures of the hors d’oeuvres floating by. But — BUT — I can assure you all the bites were delicious. I’m definitely planning on coming back (especially after seeing some of the pics on Yelp. Wowee)…

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My friend Kambra double fisting the aforementioned Malbec and some Pinot Noir (we liked the Malbec more).

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Our intrepid hosts for the evening.

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The view from upstairs. Lots of jovial co-mingling.

Unfortunately, as tasty as the bites were, they simply were not a meal. And so Kambra and I headed a few blocks south to the one and only Wurstküche, which may be one of my favorite restaurants in LA. For the uninitiated, Wurstküche serves up pretty much one thing: SASSAGE. And it does sausage REAL GOOD. That’s no easy feat. Cooking sausage is actually an art, and I know because I’ve destroyed many a fine link on my grill.

With over twenty sausage varieties on the menu, I’ve barely scratched the Wurstküche surface, even after several years of patronizing the restaurant (I have a penchant for going back to the simple but oh so excellent bratwurst). However, this was Kambra’s first time at the Wurstküche, and she wanted to try one of the crazier offerings. Who was I to say no?

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Our sausages, along with obligatory fries and dipping sauces. Do not ignore the obligatory fries and dipping sauces.

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Sausage #1: Austin Blues. Filled with hot and spicy, tri-pepper & hardwood smoked pork. We topped this sausage with onions and spicy peppers. It’s a great combo, and this tried and true sausage continues to be a favorite.

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And now the more exotic rattlesnake & rabbit with jalapeño peppers, topped with onions and sweet peppers. This strange bad boy is definitely on the gamey side, but it’s not nearly as scary tasting as it may sound to some. It actually is pretty good, especially with the sweet peppers. That being said, it’s not quite on the same level as the Austin Blues — or the basic bratwurst for that matter.

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Ah, the fries. The ever so perfect fries. Usually I order the curry ketchup and chipotle aioli dipping sauces, but we changed things up by swapping out the aioli for a bleu cheese, walnut, and bacon dip. It tasted great, but I do have one very food bloggery complaint: it was too damn stiff! Ain’t nobody got time for a stiff dip! It breaks the fries! If I may be so bold to offer up a suggestion to the Wurstküche gods: thin out the dip just a touch so that we can insert fry, achieve full dippy immersion, and enjoy a well-earned bite.

Yum.

Wurstküche
800 E 3rd St
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 687-4444 • www.wurstkuche.com/

Badmaash
108 W 2nd St, Ste 104
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 221-7466 • http://www.badmaashla.com/

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