Monthly Archives: July 2016

Sweetgreen

31 Sunday Jul 2016

Posted by in Eating and Drinking by city, Los Angeles area, Sweetgreen (Hollywood)

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

7/17/2016

After going to the Hollywood Farmers Market, I needed a place to have a light lunch before our dinner at Ink. Since we were already familiar with Tender Greens, I decided to try a new place and took a chance on Sweetgreen. The space was large and the service was helpful. The Prices were fair considering the quality.

IMG_3048
Roasted Eggplant and Falafel Herb Falafel, Romaine, Spinach, Roasted Eggplant, Tomato, Basil, Cider vinaigrette
I picked this one for my husband and he really enjoyed it. I took a bite and the falafel was good and the eggplant was nicely roasted and earthy.
IMG_3047
OMG Omega Organic Arugula, Baby Spinach, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Basil, Avocado, Roasted Steelhead, Nori Furikake, Miso Sesame Ginger Dressing
I did not realize this salad came with steelhead. Since I am not a fan of that fish, I gave most of it to my husband. I enjoyed the salad though. The greens were very fresh and I especially enjoyed the flavorful cherry tomatoes. Avocado provided healthy fat. The dressing was on the salty side though, so next time I ask for it on the side.

Cafe Gratitude

29 Friday Jul 2016

Posted by in Cafe Gratitude, Eating and Drinking by city, Newport Beach

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

7/9/2016

After searching online for a while to find out where to eat, I finally gave up and decided to try the recently opened Cafe Gratitude, a vegan restaurant in Newport Beach. The space was large and airy with a big patio area up front. They even had a to go place in the back of the building. Service was helpful and friendly. I the food was good but on a pricy side ($16 for our bowls) considering the ingredients. I am sure the location has something to do with it. I forgot to take my phone with me, so unfortunately I have no picture of our dishes.

Fresco Black Beans, Pico de Gallo, Pineapple, Nopales, Roasted Tomatillo Sauce, Cilantro Pumpkin Seed Pesto
I asked our waiter to help me pick between a couple of choices and his pick was the fresco bowl. You had a choice of brown rice or quinoa for your base. I chose quinoa. It was a tasty bowl but it was mostly kale with a little bit of other ingredients. The pineapple was definitely one of the reasons I chose this bowl and it gave it a nice sweetness. I finished the bowl but afterward had a little stomach discomfort.

Humble Red Lentil Dal, Spinach, Roasted Garnet Yams, Coconut Mint Chutney, Spicy Tomato Jam
My husband chose this Indian inspired dish. He seemed to enjoy it. I took a bite and it was good but preferred my choice. Some of the yam was undercooked. When you only have a few ingredients, you better make sure you cook it properly.

Adana

26 Tuesday Jul 2016

Posted by in Adana (Glendale), Eating and Drinking by city, Los Angeles area

≈ 2 Comments

7/3/2016

We had such a wonderful experience here last Jan. I have been raving about their food to my family. While they were visiting we decided to have lunch here. The experience as a whole was very positive. The service was good but we missed our friendly young waiter from the previous time.

IMG_2949
Mutabbul BBQ Eggplant, Sesame Seeds, Tahini, Garlic and Spices
As great as the first time. Creamy, smoky eggplant dip was addictive. I could eat it everyday.
IMG_2950
Yogurt & Shallot Dip
This dip was less successful. It needed a touch of salt to perk it up.
IMG_2951
Fattoush Salad Fresh Verdolagas, Cucumber, Radish, Herbs, Feta, Pita Chips
My favorite salad mostly because of the verdolagas (Purslane), a childhood favorite of mine. The other veggies were nice and crunchy and gave the salad a nice textural contrast.
IMG_2952
I don’t remember this spicy onion dish last time. It came with our dishes.
IMG_2954
Soltani Filet and Koobideh Kabobs
The koobideh was very flavorful and was cooked right but the filet (Barg) lacked the nice char falvor that we experienced and raved about last time. This dish came with two sides. The Persian salad (Shirazi) was pretty good. The Hummus was bland though. It needed some lemon juice and garlic to make it more palatable.

Tomato and Cabbage Tabbouleh

25 Monday Jul 2016

Posted by in Home cooking pictures

≈ Leave a comment

cabbage taboulie

Loved this salad. A perfect summer dish. I got the recipe from The Bon Appétit.

Ingredients
SERVINGS: 8
1 cup bulgur (not quick-cooking)
½ medium head green cabbage, cut into 1”-thick wedges, then very thinly sliced crosswise (about 4 cups)
1 small sweet onion (such as Vidalia), finely chopped
4 cups assorted small tomatoes, halved, quartered if large
3 cups coarsely chopped fresh mint
¾ cup olive oil
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or ½ crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt

Preparation
Place bulgur in a large bowl and add 1½ cups boiling water. Let soak until softened and water is absorbed, 40–45 minutes.
Toss bulgur, cabbage, onion, tomatoes, mint, oil, lemon juice, and Aleppo pepper in a large bowl to combine; season with salt.

Second try
IMG_3227

Bergamot Station

23 Saturday Jul 2016

Posted by in Art & Architecture, Los Angeles Area

≈ Leave a comment

IMG_2854
IMG_2855
Miles Regis, Weight in Gold
IMG_2857
Linda Smith, Yellow Head Teapot With Cups, 2011
IMG_2859
_________________________________________
First Independent Gallery
IMG_2863
Lorraine Lubner, Red Times, 2014
IMG_2865
_________________________________________

IMG_2895
IMG_2869
Homeless Cop, Victory or Death
IMG_2871
Homeless Cop, The National Crookball league
IMG_2873
Homeless Cop, Drumpf
IMG_2875
Homeless Cop, Lord Halifax
IMG_2877
Homeless Cop, Dead Forever

IMG_2890
IMG_2879
Jim McKenzie, Pumpkin Crab Meet Up
IMG_2882
Jim McKenzie, Scarecrow Digital Painting Framed
dog
Jim McKenzie, King Gordo
IMG_2886
Jim McKenzie, bene Appetit
IMG_2888
Jim McKenzie, Nest
pink pumpkin
Jim McKenzie, Pumpkin Crab Cyclops & Beneath The Harvest
_____________________________________________________

blue painting
Alicia De LA Campa Pak
tree painting
IMG_2899
Thomas Hunt, Early Spring
IMG_2901
William Ritschel, Return from the Catch
IMG_2903
______________________________

William Turner Gallery
moses
IMG_2904
Toys for Tots, 2014-16
IMG_2905
Who-Ba, 2015
IMG_2906
Untitled (GRE-HEAD#2), 1999-2015
IMG_2908
IMG_2910
Bowo #1, 2015
IMG_2911
IMG_2913
WY NOT, 2015-16
black painting
Double Wide #1, 2015
IMG_2915
NY-2, 2007
IMG_2916
B/Red Grid, 2010
IMG_2917
Fly Away, 2015
IMG_2918
Slide Allure

_________________________________________
IMG_2923
IMG_2920
Corey Grayhorse, Linda, 2014
IMG_2921
Corey Grayhorse, Lunch Date with Mike Bailey, 2013
______________________________________________

IMG_2924
Marion Wood, Municipal Constellation
IMG_2926
Elsie Dye Sims, El Matador
________________________________________

IMG_2931
IMG_2928
IMG_2929
__________________________________________

IMG_2932
Lillian Bassman

Superba Food + Bread

22 Friday Jul 2016

Posted by in Eating and Drinking by city, Los Angeles area, Superba Food + Bread (Venice)

≈ Leave a comment

6/25/2016

I had to look up to see when was the last time we were at Superba Food + Bread. I was surprised to see that we have not been there since September of 2014. After our recent experience I can see why. Actually the food quality and execution have gone down. You can’t make a brunch reservation online so we waited more than half an hour to be seated. Before they called our name, I asked my husband that maybe we should just leave and go to gjusta, but he was too hungry, so we stayed. Service was OK at best.

IMG_2849
Mocha
I really like their mocha but once again they served it room temperature. If I am paying $6 for a mocha, I expect it to be at the right temperature. So I waited a long time for someone to come and take away my mocha. It took so long for them to bring the replacement that I assumed they forgot about it. The taste of the warmer mocha dramatically improved. Once again my favorite thing at SF & B was the mocha.
IMG_2853
Spring Vegetable Hash Asparagus/ Peas/ Favas/ Smoked Potatoes/ Mushrooms/ Sunny Side-Up Eggs/ Spring Garlic Gremolata
Such a tiny portion and something you can make yourself at home. Do people actually fill up on such a dish?
IMG_2852
Hangtown Fry Soft Scramble Eggs/ Mushrooms/ Onions/ Bacon/ Braised Greens/ Potatoes/ Chilies/ Crispy Oyster
On the positive side there were plenty of eggs on the plate but the single fried oyster was fishy and the potatoes tasted like they were fried a long time ago. A very disappointing experience.

ST Pâtisserie Chocolat

21 Thursday Jul 2016

Posted by in Costa Mesa, Eating and Drinking by city, ST Pâtisserie Chocolat

≈ Leave a comment

6/18/2016

IMG_2828
Raspberry Mille Feuille
This is their new version I guess. The middle layer is a cake. It was good but not as great as I hoped.
IMG_2831
Choupi Cube pâte à choux, Grand marnier Light Cream
We were trying to decide between two selections and the girl behind the counter suggested this one. The cube was crunchy on the outside but the cream inside was light on Grand Marnier.
IMG_2833

Marche Moderne

21 Thursday Jul 2016

Posted by in Costa Mesa, Eating and Drinking by city, Marché Moderne

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

6/18/2016

Marche Moderne used to be one of our favorite restaurants in OC. Unfortunately every time we go there, we are less satisfied than the time before. The problem is that a lot of dishes look great on the paper, but once you taste it, it hardly delivers. We picked three dishes and they were all on the sweet side. Our waiter was a little stiff and seemed disengaged. So considering their high prices, we have no desire of returning any time soon.

IMG_2817
Amelia’s Chopped Salad Parsley salad of Endive, Radicchio, Toma Cheese, Rosette de Lyon, Tomatoes, Garbanzo beans, Oregano-Lemon Vinaigrette, California freshly pressed Olive Oil
It was a refreshing salad but was on the small side.
IMG_2822
Wild Bristol Bay Maine Scallops “Seared Rare “ Kale, Passion Fruit, Cilantro, Pineapple, Thai Basil, & Quinoa Salad, Lime Emulsion
Sounds like a tropical salad but it was a very one note dish and that being sweet. The scallops were cooked just right though.
IMG_2824
Lamb Merguez Sandwich On wood burning Baguette, Mint, Cilantro, Emulsion Menthe et Chermoula, Cumin scented carrot & pickled, Onion, Chick Peas, Cucumber Lemon Yogurt
After reading the ingredients you are ready to eat a Moroccan influenced sandwich. The merguez was made in the house and it was good, but there was no sign of chick peas. The cucumber yogurt was good but the portion was on the small side. So, considering they charged $16 for it, it was a poor value.

IMG_2825