The Two Restaurant Rule

Do not read on an empty stomach.

It begins like this: I'm waiting for the elevator at work talking to my colleagues about the Farmer's Market. It's a Friday afternoon, and so we are all headed there for lunch. We are unanimously on a Brazilian food kick - so the plan is to meet at Pampas Grill. 

The elevator arrives, and I climb inside with a woman who works on our floor. Though I've seen this woman time and time again for the last three years, we've never spoken more than the word, 'Hi' to one another. Usually in the restroom. But she turns to me and says, "Brazilian?" So I explain where we are headed and how we've been looking forward to this lunch all week. 

The woman is prompted to tell me her Rule: She commits to trying two new restaurants every month. Generally they are chosen based on reviews she has read, I think she said in the L.A. Times. This got me thinking.

Two new restaurants a month. I'm pretty sure Jamie and I do this without trying... It's not like this is a difficult feat in Los Angeles. But still - I decided to be more aware of it, if not more deliberate.

It has been a couple of months since the aforementioned elevator ride, and sure enough, Jamie and I have eaten at many restaurants new to us. (And after last night's adventure to the Westside Tavern, I decided it would be fun to document where we have been.)

STREET

STREET is Susan Feniger's latest foray, and as she describes it: "Even though I've had formal training as a chef, the single greatest influence on my life's work has been through the food I have sampled from street vendors throughout the U.S. and around the world. These unsung chefs cook food that excites the palate with unexpected flavors and exotic ingredients."

Indeed. 

Jamie ordered the Singapore Kaya Toast (thick coconut jam on Malaysian white toast with soft fried eggs drizzled in dark soy and dusted with white pepper) and I enjoyed the Mediterranean Breakfast (toasted olive bread with warm feta, sliced avocado, cucumber, fried sage and marmalade -- it comes with marinated tomato, but I obvi held it). Our friend Sarah ordered the All American (eggs, Smokey Mountain bacon, wood oven country potatoes, toast and marmalade) and for the table, I ordered Jaggery Sugar Stuffed Paranthas (sweet flatbread griddled with butter until the sugar inside turns to caramel; split open and topped with fried bananas.)

If aesthetics matter to you, this place should pass your test. Though maybe I'm partial because of all the burnt orange in the place... There's indoor and outdoor seating, half the menu is vegan-friendly, they have an impressive selection of rare beers, and according to Out Traveler, Feniger is the finest lesbian chef in the world!

Shout out to Kathleen for sending us to STREET!

Jen and Sarah under the orange umbrella

Simpang Asia

Simpang Asia is an Indonesian Cafe and market down in the Palms part of town. Our friend Caroline - who also likes to try new restaurants! - had her birthday dinner here. I had the Nasi Uduk Jakarta (aromatic rice enriched with coconut and a hint of lemongrass, turmeric yellow fried chicken, tofu and tempeh, shredded egg, and veggie tamarind soup) and Jamie had the Nasi Rames (spiced chicken curry, tofu and tempeh, and beef rendang). We also tried the Siomay Bandung (steamed fish cake with egg, tofu, cabbage and potato, served with peanut sauce). Though I did not care for the soup, everything else was unbelievably delicious. I would go back there for the rice alone! 

One cool thing about this place is the grocery store right beside it. It is a traditional Indonesian market with everything from teas to noodles to milk fish. At the risk of appearing culturally insensitive, we took a lot of photos in the market.

From L to R: Joe, Lori, Jason

For dessert we all shared the two desserts they offer: Pisang Bakar (grilled banana with chocolate sprinkles and cheese) and Roti Bakar (Indonesian sweet grilled cheese bread with chocolate sprinkles and condensed milk).

Pisang Bakar

Fred's Mexican Cafe

Earlier in August, my family was in town from Colorado. One evening we all met in Surf City, USA - Huntington Beach - and spent a LOUD evening overlooking the PCH and the ocean. This place also had indoor and outdoor seating, killer fire pits, and your traditional SoCal Mexican fare. I had some shrimp enchiladas and Jamie went for the cheese enchiladas. (Jamie: remember when you asked the waiter to hold the cheese, and he said deadpan, That's what an enchilada is.) 

The best part of the evening was watching my three year old nephew Brian absorb the frenetic energy of a beachside bar on a Saturday night and go a little nuts. 

Brian (L) and Daniel

Golden State 

Thanks to our friends Paul and Jess, we went to a "talent show for the best makers of food and drink in California." Quaint and (my favorite) enclosed by exposed brick, this little place is a part of the hip stretch of Fairfax. Burgers, dogs, beer and Scoops - simple and done well. I had a Spicy Dog with caramelized onions and fried sweet potato wedges, and Jamie got the Chicken Apple with sauerkraut; Paul and Jess went for burgers. I attempted to enjoy a beer that evening (because of their extensive selection), but as usual, I didn't like it and had Paul finish it. 

Chicken Apple (L) and Pork

Scoops, if you have never heard of it, is a gelato place in Hollywood/Silverlake with unique flavors including Brown Bread, Strawberry/Balsamic, and Pistachio/Saffron, as well as some "traditional" flavors such as Horchata, Peanut Butter/Chai, and Salted Caramel. (Not to mention it's pretty great for celebrity sightings... during my last visit there, Weird Al showed up with his kids.) Well, The Golden State has a small selection of Scoops right there at the counter - so we were able to follow our meal with some deliciously odd frozen treats.

Red Lion Tavern

Jamie didn't come to this German Gasthaus with me, but I think I ate enough sausage and sauerkraut for the both of us. The infamous beer selection was wasted on me, but the bratwurst and German fried potatoes went down nicely with my old lady vodka drink. To any local readers: try this place (and call me if you're going). But be warned: the parking situation can be annoying. There is a small lot and it's bound to be full when you get there.

Westside Tavern

I deem this one 'winner of best restaurant in a mall though not really in a mall.'

They deem this: 'chef-driven yet affordable interpretations of California Tavern Cuisine alongside a complementary selection of fresh cocktails, craftsman beers and thoughtful wines. Encompassing 10,400 square feet and 300 seats, Westside Tavern is designed to be used as a casually upscale gathering place."

It's totally connected to the Westside Pavillion (which allows for plentiful, free parking) on Pico at Westwood. This place is special to me for reasons other than the menu and the parking, though. Jamie and I went last night and met up with some of my nearest and dearest friends from back east - a couple of whom I hadn't seen in far too many years. (Shout out to Amy, Michelle, and David!) 

The best thing about last night's group - aside from the amount of laughter we shared  - was everyone's appetite and willingness to sample A LOT of the menu. I'd say we ordered about 12 things "for the table" in addition to our individual entrées:

- Farmstead Cheeses & Cured Meats Board

- Crispy Ricotta Filled Zucchini Blossoms

- Grilled Three Cheese Sandwich with Tomato-Basil Soup

- Nueske's BLT with Soft Fried Egg

- Spring Pea & Ricotta Pillow Pasta with Wild Mushrooms and Bloomsdale Spinach (this was my main dish and one of the best pasta dishes I have probably ever tasted)

- Lamb French Dip 

- Balsamic Steak & Roasted Onion Salad (Jamie's beloved dinner)

- Grilled Salmon with Sweet Corn and Summer Squash

and 

- Warm Sticky Toffee Cake with Mascarpone Cream

- Peach Cobbler with Butter Pecan Ice Cream

- Bread Pudding with Vanilla Malt Ice Cream

and

- Some yummy cocktails

...

Tonight we are off to Little Toni's in North Hollywood. Though it is practically in our backyard, neither of us has ever been. 

I can't wait to try the pizza!!!

The Cotton Anniversary

The month of June holds a lot of meaning for a variety of reasons: we celebrate Father's Day, Flag Day, Juneteenth, Mary Kate and Ashley's birthday, National Donut Day, the first day of summer, and the invention of the toothbrush (in 1498!)... just to name a few.

But two years ago, June became an even more special, unforgettable month for me - it was when someone with the screen name of 'Jamesey' sent me a message on MySpace. You all know the happy ending of that little exchange, so let's jump ahead to the weekend of June 21, 2009 - our second anniversary.

Jamie surprised me with a trip to Ojai (pronounced oh-high) up in Ventura county. All I knew when we left Saturday morning was that the bikes, the dog, and our bathing suits were coming! I didn't know if we were camping or pet-friendly bed and breakfast-ing or what! (One of the few surprises that Jamie has actually pulled off.) ; p

After cruising up the 101 and across the 33, we entered... Shangri-La. And by this I mean... a gated community of rolling estates! We drove along the twisting and turning roads of the Oak View neighborhood and finally reached our very own Zen Bungalow. (No really, that's what it's called.) We explored the place and all its amazing features - wrap around balconies, breathtaking views, and even a record player with a decent vinyl collection - and eventually got Katie all settled in. 




It wasn't long before we were unpacked and ready to go see downtown Ojai. We took a drive into town and had a really yummy lunch at the local pizza place. Jamie said it reminded her of places from back home. Afterward, we took a quick walk on the main strip, but could not stop thinking about our gorgeous little retreat that was waiting for us! So we grabbed groceries for dinner and headed back to prepare ourselves some salmon, broccolini and baby potatoes... Mmmmmmm. (Full disclosure: I was in the hot tub while Jamie cooked.) Following some wine and Fred Clause, I believe we passed out in our jungle-themed room.

Day two began with breakfast under the tiki cabana. Nothing like fresh-squeezed orange juice and egg whites with zucchini from your own garden to start the day. I believe Air Supply was wafting from the living room and Katie was sitting beside us on her blanket. And if that's not a glorious memory, I don't know what is!!




We finished up and agreed it was time to go find the famous Ojai bike path. Something to note the next time you find yourself wanting to ride there: Elevation. What a workout! Fortunately, there were countless photo opportunities (er, reasons to rest our legs).








After that cardio adventure, we headed back into downtown to wander around some more. We sampled the ice cream, the used bookstore, the local hippies at Libby Park, and the blooming flowers of Rotary Community Park. We even drove through the stunning grounds at the Ojai Valley Inn and Spa (which is, apparently, one of the 1,000 Things to See in the U.S. Before you Die, pp. 835-836).




Our night was filled with more fine dining, an embarrassing UNO tournament (embarrassing because of how severely I got my ass kicked), and starlit swimming. Hard to believe that tomorrow was Monday and there was a city we had to get back to. 



I won't say that, "All good things come to and end" because for me, that's just not true. Even in North Hollywood, I have my zen moments in our little zen bungalow... and despite the stresses of work, the economy, and loud neighbors, life with Jamie can feel like Shangri La.

Happy Anniversary. I love you.

Let the music take control...

Sorry we've been out of the blog spotlight for so long. But with a new season of So You Think You Can Dance comes inspiration, hence the blog update! If you guys, our loyal followers, (or those that we force to follow by putting you on the email list) are not watching SYTYCD, please do so. This show, as cheesy as it sounds, moves us. I've always loved to dance since I was in junior high. And even in my 30s, I find myself in the middle of a dance circle more often than you would think. One of the things I love most about jen is her ability to let loose on a dance floor. But it wasn't until I started watching SYTYCD that I discovered my love of watching dance. The passion, the choreography, the music...it's all extremely moving. So give it a shot people. I promise you won't be disappointed.  

Anyway, in honor of a new season starting, I thought I'd post a blog about a fun dance-related activity we did back in March called A Taste of Dance. Because we were itching for our beloved art form, when we received the flyer in the mail for A Taste of Dance, we truly couldn't wait to check it out. Basically, it was an event going on at the Music Center in Downtown LA where you could "taste test" a variety of dance styles at just a dollar a lesson. $1 bought you a 20-minute lesson. And the most important part...no experience necessary! So we biked to the subway, and headed downtown.  

First up was the Dunham Technique Warm Up. I think this one was both mine and jen's favorite. The instructor, Sarah Anindo Marshall, was incredible. Basically, she led a fusion of Caribbean and African dance with modern and ballet. In this 20-minute warm-up, we used more muscles than we had in years. The second we got home we researched the internet for places we could take a Dunham class, but our search came up empty unless we joined the Debbie Allen Dance Academy. And um, that's not really an option. So if anyone that reads this blog knows of any place we can take a Dunham class, please let us know!  

So since we were all warmed up, it was time to hit the various dance floors that were set up all around the Music Center. While crowds of people watched on, we attempted to Breakdance first. I did okay until we got to the backspin. After getting kicked in the head by a teenager, I excused myself from the floor. But jen stuck it out and actually did quite well!  

I was beginning to feel a little out of my element, but then we did the Praise Dance class which was much easier to follow. Very lyrical and expressive. We had a hard time following the Afro-Brazilian class, but my forte was Krumping. Lil' Tommy the Clown, who was featured in the movie Rize, taught us a routine and it was a blast! I still do the "krump clap" regularly in our living room.  

Christine and Starr met up with us and tried their hand at Chicago Steppin' and something else that I can't remember.  

All in all, it was a great experience and I can't wait to do it again. I'm pretty sure they have A Taste of Dance twice a year, so all you LA peeps should check it out! 

This experience also inspired us to try a Zumba class at the gym. Jen's not as crazy about it as I am, but I openly admit to LOVING ZUMBA! It's an aerobic class that combines movements from merengue, salsa, mambo, etc. into one kick-ass work out. Zumba is getting more popular, so I encourage you to find a class. At LA Fitness it's actually called "Latin Impact" but it's the same thing.  

So please tune in to this season's SYTYCD, and in the words of C+C Music Factory...everybody dance now...da da da da...