shima – venice

I ended up at Shima sort of unplanned because the wait at Gjelina was way too long, but I’m glad that I did because I need to get out of my comfort zone more often.  I’ve said plenty of times that I’m a “bad asian” because I don’t like sushi, but my 5 years here in L.A. helped me a little bit in trying it – slowly, but surely.  Shima is a quaint little spot, but decorated simply and clean.  A few interesting oversized photos on the wall, but the sushi bar is the first thing you notice when you walk in.  We sat there – I love being able to see the food being made & I always like open kitchens because to me that means they aren’t hiding anything.  I didn’t go upstairs, but they have tables up there – it reminds me of someone’s modern summer home in the mountains or something.  Anyway, our waiter was so nice, telling us that everything we asked about was very good – which didn’t really help, but I appreciated how kind he was.  The first thing I noticed was the small piece of sage that was tucked into the napkin of the place setting… a very small touch, but appealing to the eyes & nose (the 2 senses you actually eat with first.)  I couldn’t stop smelling it while we decided what to order.  Anyway – because I’m a little scared of the “real sushi stuff” we ordered black edamame, cucumber salad, the spicy tuna roll, miso black cod, seared ahi tuna & something else with black truffle (I can’t remember!) Everything was really light, tasty, fresh and clean.  The dish that I can’t remember I didn’t try, but I did take a piece of the black truffle & ate it with the seared tuna (which was sliced thicker than I normally am OK to try) but I actually had 2 pieces and it was really good.  I had never had black edamame before and it has a light buttery taste which was really good – I guess not many other places have that kind so that was a nice treat.  Overall a nice spot, it’s not one of the cheapest, but it’s not so expensive that I wouldn’t go back.

*They don’t seem to have a website that I could link to, lo siento!

Shima| 1432 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice | 310.314.0882

true food kitchen | santa monica, ca

For Elizabeth’s “last dinner” of this trip, a bunch of us met up at Santa Monica Place to try out the newly opened True Food Kitchen and sat outside on the patio.  Our server Terrianne (I remembered her name b/c we talked about our first names, mine being KimAnn – like MaryAnn – but how they’re mispronounced often) was really sweet and knowledgable, which is muy importante in a server.  I started off with a Cucumber Citrus Skinny Margarita which was incredibly delicious & refreshing.  For starters we got the Herb Hummus & Edamame Dumplings.  I really liked the hummus & how the pita was served warm – there was a lot of flavor there.  We also got extra pita without asking (don’t you love how so many dipping apps never actually come w/ enough pita or chips or whatever?)  The dumplings were interesting, not my favorite, but weren’t gross or anything.  Both of these apps were vegetarian which is noted on the menu (vegan & gluten-free items are also noted – the latter with a “GF” don’t mistake that for what your girlfriend should order.)  Among all of us we had: Shaved Turkey Sandwich, Steak Tacos, Fava Bean & Ricotta Ravioli, Panang Curry & Teriyaki Brown Rice Bowl (w/ shrimp.)  It seemed like everyone enjoyed what they had – very natural and fresh flavors.  I had the brown rice bowl, which was really good, but a little too much sauce for my taste.  The portions are good – not too big & not too small, which leaves room for dessert!  I don’t know what came over me, but I totally ordered some & was very happy about it!  The strawberry rhubarb crisp was really good, a perfect amount of fruit & crisp.  I’d go back & just get that.  I’m glad there’s a new spot nearby w/ healthy, fresh food.  It’s not spency either!  Next time I want to sit inside – it looked like there was a nice energy inside.  Classic, clean, light wood decor (kind of like CB2) with a lot of people and an open kitchen.  Another great neighborhood spot!  (They only take reservations for parties of 8 or more)

True Food Kitchen | 395 Santa Monica Place, Suite 172 | 310.593.8300

stella rossa pizza bar | santa monica, ca

Another meal, another new restaurant during Elizabeth’s visit… we decided to walk down to Main. St. partially because it was a nice night out and partially besides the dancing we had done Saturday night, we wanted a little exercise.  At the end of the 2 mile walk down, we immediately could smell the pizza before we located the actual door which of course got us excited for what was in our near future!  This is connected to the M Street Kitchen (formally known as La Grande Orange, which from what I understand everything is still the same, just a different name) the Stella Rossa Pizza Bar is a casual, rustic spot with a big bar in the middle and high tops around the sides.  The chairs are slippery, watch out!  The menu is simple – salads, apps & pizzas.  The pizzas are about 8 inches, easy to get 2 and share.  That’s what we did.  We had the Yellow Squash & Wild Arugula Salad which was really good – fresh and tasty.  We got the margherita “red” pizza (tomato, fresh mozzarella, sweet basil, organic EVOO) and the shaved mushroom “white” pizza (gruyere, melted onions, black truffle, torn parsley, rosemary, thyme.)  The crust has a slight salt flavor, but it’s really good.  The center of it is soft and I couldn’t stop eating it.  Good thing we had that 2 mile walk back!  Great neighborhood spot!

Stella Rossa Pizza Bar | 2000 Main St. Santa Monica | 310.396.9250

fig & olive | west hollywood, ca

Pascal Lorange has opened another one of his famous Fig & Olive restaurants in West Hollywood and what better way to try it out than with your best friend?  Friday night before the supposed rapture was supposed to happen, Elizabeth & I hit up the new mediterranean-esque hot spot for some much needed quality time & good food.

OK, I know I don’t really even like figs or olives, but this place is great.  First it’s beautiful – when you first walk in, it sort of feels like any hip new spot in West Hollywood with the bar filled with people and comfy looking lounge areas nearby.  Then you walk into the dining area where you feel like you’re outside, but you’re not.  High ceilings, foliage, music, perfect lighting and adorable tables & chairs.  There are some spots w/ pillows that look very inviting, the kind of spot you can sit, eat, drink & talk for hours.  We were welcomed with housemade foccacia with 3 types of olive oil for dipping.  We spent a while figuring out what to get because everything looked amazing.  We started off with some cocktails which were made with fresh & yummy ingredients.  Sipping them over girl talk and mulling over the menu we decided on a few apps – crostinis to share: 

Cucumber, Green Onion, Yogurt / Mushroom, Truffled Artichoke, Parmesan / Manchego, Fig, Marcona Almond / Roasted Bell Pepper, Ricotta, Caper / Shrimp, Avocado, Cilantro, Tomato

Every single bite of those little crostinis were soooo good.  Thinking about them right now makes a little rumble in my tumble!  Elizabeth had the Fig & Olive salad (romaine, mesclun, fig, apple, manchego, dolce gorgonzola, tomato, walnut, olive, scallion, 18 yr old fig & balsamic – Arbequina Olive Oil) which she said was good, but “had chunks of this weird cheese, what IS that?!” Where I had the side salad w/o tomatoes, it wasn’t that great, but we were trying to get our greens on.  For our entrees, we had the Salmon A La Andalucia (zucchini, fennel, tomatoes, chickpeas, verdial olive, oregno, garlic, lemon, Picual olive oil) and Penne Funghi Tartufo w/ Grilled Chicken (cremini mushroom, black trumpet, parmesan, parsley, scallion, White Truffle olive oil.)  If you just read that & are not drooling, then you might be crazy.  I do love when restaurants list the majority of ingredients because as a picky person, you really want to know what you’re getting yourself into when that plate arrives.  I can’t comment on the salmon, but Elizabeth said it was really good.  I LOVED my dish, it honestly was the perfect balance of all of those flavors.  It was a little too much olive oil, but once you’re over the little pool of it on the bottom of the dish it’s really delicious.  The chicken was also grilled very well – still juicy!  I couldn’t finish it all, but I was very happy that I had decided to take the rest home because the next day my taste buds thanked me again.   We spent a little over 3 hours there… yes because we hadn’t seen each other in a while and we had a lot to talk about and catch up on, but the atmosphere is very comfortable & welcoming.

The rapture was predicted for the next day, so if it had happened I would’ve been very happy with that last meal before I went to hell.  But since it didn’t, I will definitely go back.

Fig & Olive | 8490 Melrose Place, West Hollywood | 310.360.9100

farm shop | santa monica, ca

I know it’s been a while since I’ve written, this year so far has been very busy, but good busy!  I’ve been dancing my way through 2011 going to a ton of shows… but with all of this dancing & good times of course there comes food!  My girl Elizabeth was in town this past weekend and I was able to cross off FOUR restaurants off my list so here we go!

I can’t remember exactly when, but The Corner Bakery closed and in its place came Farm Shop – I had read that it was “too expensive for what its worth” so I guess that’s the reason why I didn’t make a huge effort to go.  When Elizabeth is back in town though, everything goes.  We were immediately sat at a back communal table (for 4) at around 12:30p – the center food court was packed though so of course I was a little worried that it wasn’t more busy.  Our waitress was very sweet, helping out with our decisions.  I opted for the Farm Shop omelette & was glad to hear that they’d make it with egg whites w/o charging extra (but of course probably because it was already $$.)  Elizabeth went with the chicken salad with goddess dressing.  I used to drink coffee every day back in high school then I went a long time barely drinking it, now I have a soy latte once in a while – which I decided to have one here and seriously, it was probably the best latte I’ve had … I don’t know what it was, but I was drinking it like water.  DELISH!  And the omelette!?  Absolutely delectable.  The herbs mixed into the eggs were a perfect amount to enhance the taste of taste-less egg whites and the lobster inside was lightly seasoned & buttered.  I was trying not to eat it like I’ve never eaten food before.  The fact that it was accompanied by a lightly toasted croissant proved to me that little mini orgasms can be caused by food.  Aye dios mio!!  I had a bite of Elizabeth’s salad & I was literally punched in the mouth with flavor.  The chicken was sous vide in olive oil, so light, but so much flavor!  It was a pricey brunch, but I would go back for sure.  They have a pleather of baked goods at the register and I’m surprised that I didn’t walk out with one.  Elizabeth got a box of a variety of stuff for the group of girls she was meeting and the next morning I saw it and it was empty.  If you know you’ll be spending a little more, you’ll thoroughly enjoy it.  And who doesn’t like to hit up the Brentwood Country Mart w/ all of its cute little shops and Santa Monica Hot Dads strolling about?

The Farm Shop | 225 26th Street Santa Monica, CA 90402 | 310-566-2400

recipe of the week | butternut squash soup

Wow… I don’t even know when I started this, but with only 5 “recipes of the week” I obviously have been slacking!  OK – here is #6.  I started making soups more – well trying soup recipes – and this one is a winner.  I’ve made it a bunch and some of the people who have tried it have said it’s the best they’ve had!  I’m also a little proud because it was this recipe that actually made me eat butternut squash   Enjoy!!

• 1 Butternut squash, about 2 pounds
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced carrot
• 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon finely minced jalapeno pepper
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Peel the squash and cut into 1 inch pieces. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the carrot, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook for 1 minute, and then add squash, jalapeno pepper, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15- 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Remove from the heat and puree the soup using an immersion blender, or transfer to a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth. Return to the heat, add the cream and adjust the seasonings.

hostaria del piccolo | santa monica

Again, I am apologizing to the 5 people who read this blog for being so behind.  I realized that I haven’t shared a good recipe in a while too, so that is up next.  I wanted to make sure to review Hostaria del Piccolo – a new “pizzeria-type” joint in my neighborhood of Santa Monica.  My friend and I decided to eat at the bar mostly because it’s more fun, but also because we got there a little early and the dining room was pretty empty.  So this place is connected to the Piccolo in Venice (which I have yet to try!) so I can’t really compare them yet.  I do like the decor of this place, it’s rustic and simple.  The bar area is small – about maybe 8 seats at the bar, then there are a few along the window sill.  The menu is set up for sharing with the servings are on the smaller side.  I think it’s nice in the sense you can get pizza AND pasta, but not have to worry about left overs or whatever – but honestly I think that the prices don’t match that kind of dining.  The pastas are priced as though you would just eat that – which I did, but I wasn’t very hungry that night.  I did absolutely love my dish though – Garganelli (Porcini sauce, truffle oil, Parmesan cream) – it was the perfect amount of pasta, not too heavy of a cream sauce and the flavor was delish!!  At $17 it’s worth it, but if you go in with the American attitude of wanting more for your buck, you will be disappointed.  All of the pizzas look great and I will definitely go back, but knowing I’ll be spending a little dough (no pun intended!  OK, I lied, it was intended!)  The bartender was wicked nice and made very good cocktails, with fresh & rare ingredients.  It’s romantic enough for a date, but also busy & casual enough for a group gathering.

Hostaria del Piccolo | 606 Broadway, Santa Monica | 310.393.6633

bottega louie | downtown los angeles

I know – it’s been a looong time since I’ve written, but you know life sometimes gets in the way of life.  Sometimes the best meals are when it’s unplanned – which is what happened last weekend on a gorgeous Saturday in downtown L.A.  I had spent the afternoon on the rooftop bar at The Standard Hotel because my friend was DJing (both from out of town) and the last time he was here and did it, we all went to The Library Bar across the street for burgers.  I do remember them being good, but I was also drinking champagne for the previous 6 hrs so at that point anything would’ve been good.  This time though, most of the group wanted to go back, but luckily 2 of my friends suggested Bottega Louie and I got wicked excited I practically skipped the 2 or so blocks away.

Right when you walk in, you just get a surge of energy.  The walls are stark white and the ceilings very tall (c’mon in tall drinks of water!)  The first thing you see is the crowd… busy at the bar, standing around waiting for their tables or poaching the first come first serve tables by the bar (imagine cafe style at a hip Paris joint,) checking out the delicioso-looking desserts in the display case and eye-spying the chefs at work in the open kitchen.  WOW.  The wait on a Saturday night at 7pm was an hour, I didn’t even flinch because I was so excited and timing was on our side because we walked by a woman just as she was leaving her little cafe table.  We had a seat, ordered drinks and apps as we waited for our table.  First of all, the Apple Martini was ridiculous.  You have to like apple cider to appreciate it – but if you’re indifferent, you will clearly appreciate the REALNESS of it – meaning it’s not fluorescent green & made from apple pucker (what the hell is that, really?!) We ordered the tomato bruschetta (I know what you are all thinking!*) and the arancini.  Both were really good.  The arancini had little melty cheese goodness in the middle, just a little bit, but a perfect bit.  The bruschetta was tip-toeing on the line for me & my dislike for tomatoes, but they were marinated perfectly so just enough of the “fresh tomato flavor” was masked.

For dinner we all ordered a little separately, but tried each other’s dishes.  I had the cauliflower veloute (cauliflower, balsamic vinegar & fennel) and the penne gamber (jumbo shrimp, broccolini, roasted tomatoes, garlic & olive oil broth.)  Bri had the mache salad (mache, frisee, roasted chicken, avocado, celery, green onion, lemon & extra virgin olive oil) and two sides – the pumpkin squash and roasted beets with goat cheese.  Derek had the louie salad (iceberg lettuce, jumbo shrimp, hearts of palm, avocado, sweet onions, tomatoes, bell peppers & Dijon vinaigrette) and the diver scallops (prosciutto wrapped diver scallops, beluga lentils & salsa verde.)  I was absolutely in love with my cauliflower soup.  I would 110% get it again.  My entrée was really good and much lighter than I thought it was going to be (never know with pasta dishes.)  Both salads were amazing and you can totally eat it as your meal, but with the food at this place, I’d say order as much as you can and share!  I had a little bite of a scallop (I peeled off most of the prosciutto) it was cooked perfectly with a very yummy sear.

The other amazing thing is just how nice the staff is here – yes maybe it was just our waitress (Whitney) but William, the maitre d’, was so pleasant and amazing.  I definitely will go back – who wants to go with me?!

Bottega Louie | 700 S. Grand Ave. Downtown Los Angeles | 213.802.1470

*editor’s note: being the picky eater, i don’t like tomatoes in their natural state. i know it’s weird and doesn’t make sense, but that’s just how i am. bruschetta is the closest i’ll get to a fresh tomato and even then it’s got to be particular.

busy playing, busy eating…

Yes – I have a ton of catching up to do with reviews.  I’ve been working out a lot and “being good” by eating healthier and watching calories… but I gotta say, having a social life in L.A. makes working out and dieting basically a full time job!!  How do people do it?!  I do have to say though, Xino at the new Santa Monica Place is HORRIBLE – if there’s one thing I can  tell any foodies out there, don’t go or you will be disappointed in culinary humanity!!!

The next few weeks will be really busy, but after that I will be catching up.  Keep eating people!

poppy | seattle

My friend Beth and I spent a day/night in Seattle (her first time) before hitting up a bachelorette party in Cle Elum so of course I took the opportunity to hit up a restaurant that I’ve been wanting to try.  Jerry Traunfeld’s Capitol Hill restaurant Poppy was #1 on that list.  Chef Traunfeld is known for his time & influence at The Herbfarm and opened this adorable, bright foodie heaven a few years ago.  I walked in and was immediately attracted to the decor and bright colors.  The kitchen isn’t “open” but there are glass windows so you can peep inside at all of the happenings.  We got there a few minutes late for our reservation, but they were incredibly welcoming and greeted us with a “no problem” attitude (don’t get that much in L.A.) so as we waited just a few moments I saw Jerry in the kitchen right away.  Yes – my first thought was, “he’s little!” but my second thought was that I definitely wanted to meet him.  Our waiter Jeffrey was incredibly nice.  He explained the menu without that “I say this 100 times a day” under his breath.  Basically the theme of the restaurant is based on the Thali – a round try on which a variety of small dishes are served, all at once, to each guest.  This is very common in India.

I started off with “the Michi” (cava, passion fruit & lavendar) which later we learned was named after the dog of someone who works in the kitchen.  It was DELICIOUS!!  So yummy in fact that Beth downed her glass of wine so she could rush to get one.  They have a bunch of different cocktails that looked equally as delish, but since I do have a love for cava I had to go with that one.  We started with batata wada (potato fritters with cilantro lime sauce.  They were good, the sauce was amazing and they were little, but bursting with a ton of flavor.  Since a lot of their dishes are based on fresh ingredients and herbs (from their own herb garden right in the back that you can go look at, just try to refrain from attacking it with your fork and some balsamic!) the menu changes, but basically they have 5 options with 7 items and 2 with 10 items.  I got one of their 7 item vegetarian thalis (spring cascade porcini & asparagus risotto, chilled fennel & garlic soup, radish, grilled spring onion & purslane salad, cauliflower with sesame & dill, snap peas with creamed leeks & lemon thyme, cucumber & shiso pickle and nigella-poppy naan.)  I liked everything!  The soup was OK, but better when I dipped my naan in it.  The great thing is that they create all these mini dishes so that all of the flavors compliment each other.  I was scared that I couldn’t ask for substitutions, but you should trust the mastermind of Chef Traunfeld and just order one as is.  Beth went with another 7 item thali, grilled wagyu denver steak with pho flavors, chilled fennel and garlic soup, tomato, leek & taggia olive salad, carrots with black cardamom, zucchini basil gratin, apricot lavendar pickle and nigella-poppy naan.  She said she liked it all, but that her steak had a lot of fat on it… she said it was good, but she’s not into eating that much fat – neither am I!

Jerry came over to our table to meet us (well, because we wanted to mee him) and he was SO nice!  I got nervous for some reason and started asking him all these questions as though I was interviewing him!  But he was a great sport and made the whole experience that much better.  We opted out of dessert because the Michi was a great substitute.  Overall - an amazing experience for your mouth!  (Oh & he even autographed a menu for me!)

batata wada

The michi

I know – I look like a giant!

Poppy | 622 Broadway East, Seattle WA | 206.324.1108