Chef Eddie mugs for the camera
May 2005 | Conscious Dining
Extra! Extra! Eat All About it!
The Newsroom dishes up fresh, healthy world cuisine
by Eliza Thomas
“I describe the Newsroom as all the food and drink I would serve a guest in my own home,” shares Eddie Caraeff, chef/owner of the friendly, delicious and wildly popular Newsroom Cafe, with locations in Santa Monica and West Hollywood. “But I’m telling you, you’re not going to get the most out of the menu if you’ve got the ‘Combo 3’ syndrome. You know what I’m talking about? The people who go to Mexican restaurants and always order the same old taco, enchilada, beans and rice combo?” Caraeff makes a disdainful face.
Chef Caraeff’s menu matches his personality: charming, vibrant, creative and a little bit off the wall. A former photographer (best known for capturing the iconic rock image of Jimi Hendrix kneeling over a flaming guitar), Caraeff approaches cheffing with the sensibility of an artist. “I’m pushing the flavors and textures, experimenting. The vibe is casual but the menu is definitely for the foodies.”
That’s not to say that you can’t get what you want at the Newsroom. From the cafe’s commitment to fresh, seasonal ingredients (organic whenever possible) to its emphasis on healthy fare, to its extensive and moderately priced menu, jam-packed with vegan and vegetarian options, the Newsroom aims to please even the fussiest Angelino.
“Our customers are the pickiest in the world,” asserts Caraeff. “LA eaters, not only do they tell you what they want, they tell you how much they’re going to pay for it.”
Diners at the Newsroom would do well to defer to the menu, artfully compiled from Caraeff’s travels around the world in search of exotic flavor combinations. The “Indonesian Gado Gado Salad,”($8.50) warm brown, black, red and wild rice, organic mixed greens, marinated firm tofu, snap peas, cucumber, carrots and bean sprouts is served with a coconut-cashew-ginger dressing on the side (you don’t even have to ask). The “Ultimate Maui Veggie Burger,” ($8.50) created in homage to time spent living in Hawaii, is handmade in-house and will elicit tears from diners weary of frozen garden burgers. And the “Vegan BBQ Chicken Wings” served on a bed of mashed potatoes or rice ($8.95) command legions of devoted fans. “We have customers drive up from San Diego just to eat those,” swears Caraeff. “Vegans shouldn’t have to miss out on barbeque. It’s an American tradition! Although some people don’t even want to eat [our wings] because they really taste so much like meat.”
The original Newsroom in Santa Monica (530 Wilshire at the corner of Sixth, 310.319.9100) is smaller and mellower than its West Hollywood counterpart (120 N. Robertson, 310.652.4444), which boasts one of the nation’s largest fresh juice bars, breakfast all day and a full liquor license. “With the two bars at the big Newsroom, we can really do some crazy things,” avers Eddie. “Fresh watermelon margaritas, Peach-blueberry bellinis, you get the idea...But we get really busy there, so you just have to be prepared for that kind of a scene.”
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