to eat or not to eat. NEVER a question to be asked at craft. where everything is AMAZING and the biggest problem you'll ever have is trying to choose from all the yummy eats on the menu.
this past friday, jeannine & i decided to go for what was my third visit to tom colicchio's LA venture. the food was phenomenal, and we were only minorly disappointed here and there. (but only b/c dining out has made us total food snobs!)
here's the rundown...
we had the veal sweetbreads to start -- OMG. perfect flavor, perfect texture. a nice crisp on the outside and a nice chew on the inside. (we'd had them at comme ca for jeannine's first sweetbreads experience and we were extremely disappointed -- so NOT worth the $$!)
for the main courses, we ordered the braised short rib (which jeannine really wanted) and the australian suzuki (a bass-like fish that neither of us had heard of much less had before). i thought the short rib needed more flavor, was a bit stringy, and was a bit heavy overall (though that's short rib for you), and she thought it was totally bland and just tasted like meat. the suzuki, however, was AMAZING. perfectly crispy on top, delicately flaky, and in no way overdone.
before the entrees, they gave us an amuse bouche that was some combo of seafood and tasted delicious. after the entrees, they gave us a palate cleanser that was like a mini-parfait-- a smooth cream underneath and an icy granita above.
after spending 3/4 of a recent chat session rattling off top pumpkin desserts, we decided we absolutely HAD to order the pumpkin pie. and it was fabulous -- UBER avant-garde. it came out as a long thin rectangle, with a brushstroke of toasted marshmallow. however, the honey flavored yogurt that came on the side was absolutely pointless, as were the toasted pumpkin seeds. nevertheless, the main components were delicious.
we also ordered a sampler of 3 of the most bizarre ice creams we could pick out. we decided on the olive oil gelato, the sweet corn ice cream, and the pink peppercorn ice cream. the chef must've known what we were going for b/c he threw in the basil ice cream as well. i liked them all, except for the pink peppercorn which was a bit strong. the rest were really quite yummy. even after jerry & teresa had hyped up their olive oil ice cream experience at fig & olive, i thought craft's version was really quite good! however, jeannine didn't think the ice cream tasted olive oil-ey enough. though we were both quite overwhelmed by the pungent garlic flavor embedded within the little black crunchy things on top. the sweet corn tasted just like creamed corn, but the basil was definitely our fave. light and mildly sweet.
and after all that, they still gave us more stuff -- cute little caramel meringues that were nice and chewy with a bit of crunch, and quince pates de fruit that were pretty much just cubes of sugar. totally passable.
last but not least, they gave us each a pumpkin muffin to take home and have the next day! god how i love fall....
ultimately, an absolutely fantastic meal. great food, great ambiance, and great company!! and kudos to michael for chauffering us home! : )
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
catching up w/the readers
i know i know. it's been forever and a day since i've been on this blog, and i apologize to anyone who's even remotely bothering to keep up with my increasingly infrequent ramblings.
i must admit that this has been a crazy summer. lots going on and lots going on still. the summer seemed to zip by as orientation planning went full-speed ahead starting in july. half of august was spent trolling around sydney, adelaide, and melbourne. to the delight of my mind, my eyes, and of course, my tummy. ezard and taxi were personal faves in melbourne (which is now one of my new favorite cities), but there were certainly yummy eats that were had across the southeastern coast of oz.
after a few days of recovery from jetlag, CA training hit like a brick. and nailing down orientation logistics kept september in a whirlwind. thankfully, it was all worth it to have yet another successful event under my belt. CA training also wrapped up without little more than minor drama/trauma (you pick). but let's just say that i was thrilled when the month ended.
october has been a bit calmer, though i wish the weather wasn't quite so warm. it's just oddly hot and humid during the day, which is making it even more obvious that our environment is totally out of whack. much like our political system. if anything's made this month mildly suck, it's the sight and sound of political candidates who are stupid, insincere, or both. maybe some candidates are slightly less heinous, but none of them have made me want to jump up and vote. none of them. i mean, isn't that a tragedy?
at any rate, life is generally pretty good this month. now that i've nailed down a space to do interviews (or at least some of them), i feel a bit more relieved about the dissertation stuff as well. (let's see how long this lasts. think positive, think positive.)
on the movie front, i've watched everything from the sisterhood of the traveling pants to tell no one to ghost town to nights of rodanthe. and on the foodie front, i've checked out new happy hour specials at napa valley grille and yamato. i've gotten to dine at california roll factory and real food daily in the last week. on the flip side, i've also found my way back to a lot of my old favorites, including literati cafe, novel cafe, le pain quotidien, and tender greens (which i actually had 2 days in a row). and this week, i'm headed back to craft for another foodie splurge.
in the past few weeks, i've also indulged in daily iced blendz, which i thought was mostly ice, but found out was mostly ice and 400+ calories. thank goodness for nutrition website, but good grief!!
on the social front, it's been great re-connecting w/dana who's now here to stay for the year, sitting around w/eri over angel episodes, and soaking up good friend time in-person, on-line, and over the phone w/kel, dani, karen, caroline, amy, chiara and everyone else who helps keep me outside my own head and knowing that there's lots of other things going on with other people. this includes derek and his wedding, jerry and his baby, jenn and her baby, and god knows whatever else i'm forgetting.
life is simply too short to be totally self-involved all the time. why not listen to what someone else is saying every so often?
i must admit that this has been a crazy summer. lots going on and lots going on still. the summer seemed to zip by as orientation planning went full-speed ahead starting in july. half of august was spent trolling around sydney, adelaide, and melbourne. to the delight of my mind, my eyes, and of course, my tummy. ezard and taxi were personal faves in melbourne (which is now one of my new favorite cities), but there were certainly yummy eats that were had across the southeastern coast of oz.
after a few days of recovery from jetlag, CA training hit like a brick. and nailing down orientation logistics kept september in a whirlwind. thankfully, it was all worth it to have yet another successful event under my belt. CA training also wrapped up without little more than minor drama/trauma (you pick). but let's just say that i was thrilled when the month ended.
october has been a bit calmer, though i wish the weather wasn't quite so warm. it's just oddly hot and humid during the day, which is making it even more obvious that our environment is totally out of whack. much like our political system. if anything's made this month mildly suck, it's the sight and sound of political candidates who are stupid, insincere, or both. maybe some candidates are slightly less heinous, but none of them have made me want to jump up and vote. none of them. i mean, isn't that a tragedy?
at any rate, life is generally pretty good this month. now that i've nailed down a space to do interviews (or at least some of them), i feel a bit more relieved about the dissertation stuff as well. (let's see how long this lasts. think positive, think positive.)
on the movie front, i've watched everything from the sisterhood of the traveling pants to tell no one to ghost town to nights of rodanthe. and on the foodie front, i've checked out new happy hour specials at napa valley grille and yamato. i've gotten to dine at california roll factory and real food daily in the last week. on the flip side, i've also found my way back to a lot of my old favorites, including literati cafe, novel cafe, le pain quotidien, and tender greens (which i actually had 2 days in a row). and this week, i'm headed back to craft for another foodie splurge.
in the past few weeks, i've also indulged in daily iced blendz, which i thought was mostly ice, but found out was mostly ice and 400+ calories. thank goodness for nutrition website, but good grief!!
on the social front, it's been great re-connecting w/dana who's now here to stay for the year, sitting around w/eri over angel episodes, and soaking up good friend time in-person, on-line, and over the phone w/kel, dani, karen, caroline, amy, chiara and everyone else who helps keep me outside my own head and knowing that there's lots of other things going on with other people. this includes derek and his wedding, jerry and his baby, jenn and her baby, and god knows whatever else i'm forgetting.
life is simply too short to be totally self-involved all the time. why not listen to what someone else is saying every so often?
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
eating and relaxing in spokane
as a treat to myself (after taking on a job that allows me no weekends completely free), i flew up to spokane to see erin before she leaves in august for marquette. seeing as how i've already been to milwaukee (oh so exciting as it may be =S), i decided that i had to see washington state w/one of my favorite college friends.
after a long day of working @ murphy, teaching @ wooden, and happy hour-ing @ NPG, i raced home on friday to pick up my one carry-on, stopped off at cafe elysee for some sweet treats, and hopped on the flyaway to LAX for my flight on alaska air.
not to be incredibly snobby and rude (ok, maybe simply to be incredibly snobby and rude), it's totally true that an airline is a reflection of its customers. b/c when i walked into the alaska/horizon air terminal, i was really grossed out.
the terminal was a huge space w/high ceilings, but it wasn't pleasant at all. instead, it was dark and grungy, and the people were all dark and grungy sitting in it. i was totally nauseated. when i finally found my gate, there was no order in which passengers were allowed onto the plane. compared to southwest's overly complicated, A/B/C line, self-assigned seat policy, alaska air's policy was pretty much non-existent. and while the plane was indeed small, that doesn't mean you should go w/o order. geezus christ, people.
at any rate, i got to sit next to this lovely gentleman who grew up in spokane but currently works for northrup grumman. he was a tall gentleman w/rosy cheeks, and we were chatting for pretty much the entire plane ride. this is generally good for me, since it makes me realize that there are cool and interesting people in the world (even if i can't find too many of them in my immediate vicinity - obviously this comment does NOT pertain to folks reading this blog.).
the best thing about this guy was that he's just like me! he mentioned travelling a lot, moving from job to job, and loving change. he has a beautiful wife, no kids, and two dogs! HOORAH for people who don't need to be parents to feel fulfilled. even though i was so exhausted that i was zoning out at some points in the conversation (he even apologized for keeping me up), i forced myself to stay awake, since it's so rare to meet someone on a plane who has enough interesting things to say to keep my attention the whole time. before we parted, we exchanged business cards (which i also love to do - it's cool to think some random people out there know me) and he even mentioned a great internship program at NG. talk about opportunities popping out of nowhere!
as soon as i rolled off the plane and into the terminal, i found erin waiting for me outside. it was so fabulous to see her after years of random catch-up phone calls. sometimes you just need to pick up and go, y'know? buy the ticket and don't look back. and i'm so glad i did b/c we had a totally fun and super relaxing weekend together!
after we hopped in the car, erin drove us to the red lion hotel, where she'd booked us a room to share. i was like "what?! why?!" but she apparently didn't want to inconvenience her dad, in whose guest room she was already staying in. so instead, she booked us a room at a lovely hotel right near downtown. i offered to pay for half, but she wouldn't let me! honestly, she wouldn't let me pay for anything! she said it was awesome enough that i was visiting. AWWW!!!
as soon as i got into bed that first night, i passed out. considering that i'd been waking up all week before 6am, i was completely exhausted. i'm so thankful that we got to sleep in b/c i totally slept more than 8 hours!! (for those of you who know me, you know how rare that is.) and it felt damn good, people, damn good.
to kick off my first (and only) full day in spokane, erin and i drove out to browne's addition to meet up w/her friend jenny and her family for some brunch at CAFE MARRON. the space was light and airy, and the walls were decorated with whimsical paintings and glass vases filled with dried flowers. the most unique thing about the restaurant was what looked like a sliding glass wall that resembled a garage door. basically, the wall could be pulled up (and slid along the ceiling) so that the restaurant opens out to the sidewalk. it was really quite a fascinating piece of handiwork. and definitely something that made the space more casual and relaxing.
as soon as i walked in the door, i spied some yummy-looking scones and i knew i had to order one. (i'm obsessed with scones now that i've been spoiled by alice's teacup and the knowledge that scones don't have to be dry!) we were seated quickly and served drinks right away. i must admit to being slightly off-put by the fact that we were handed paper/takeout menus though. i mean, you can't afford to have nice menus for people dining in?! how bizarre.
regardless, i really had to focus on the food. jenny and i decided on the duck eggs & chorizo. i mean, how delicious does that sound?? jenny's lil sis chose the avocado sandwich, erin went w/the eggs benedict, and jenny's mom thought the pancakes looked too good to pass up. i also picked out two scones: lavender chocolate chip and raspberry (i think). they brought them to the table warm and i cut them up to share. everyone raved. they were super moist and utterly fabulous. the only issue was that i really couldn't taste the lavender, though perhaps the amount of chocolate really overwhelmed any other flavors. not that the chocolate wasn't absolutely delicious of course b/c it totally was.
when the food arrived, we were all happy as clams. jenny & i pretty much inhaled our dishes (bread & all). everyone else made significant progress through their meals. my eggs & chorizo were just the right consistency and flavor, not too mushy and not too salty. and having had the scones beforehand, i was able to get both my sweet & salty fix. needless to say, the company always helps to make the meal. but the food, atmosphere, and service at cafe marron can easily stand on their own.
cafe marron
http://www.cafemarronbrownes.com/cafemarron/index.php
after brunch, erin and i stopped off at the hotel to drop off the car. and then we made our way downtown for some shopping. we decided to pick up our batman IMAX tix first, which we were glad we did, b/c we found out early that the 7pm show was sold out. we decided to get tix for the earlier show at 4pm, which was probably better in terms of scheduling, since that placed us at a perfect dinner time. (i loved it when erin asked me about dinner right after brunch! talk about reading my mind!)
on the way around the square to the mall, erin pointed out some awesome statues that celebrate bloomsday, the longest timed road race, which takes place in spokane. apparently, there are some strict rules, so pay attention if you decide to run it!
bloomsday run
http://www.bloomsdayrun.org/
we decided to start off w/nordstrom's (since i don't think i've ever been in one), but it wasn't anything to rave about. (perhaps nordstrom's rack is different? anyone up for a shopping trip?) however, erin did fall in love w/a bag that we eventually had to go back for later in the evening. (talk about bag on the brain.) we then checked out several cute shops in the area, including a shop called boo radley's, after the infamous character in to kill a mockingbird! who would've thunk? btw, shopping is so relaxing when you're not intent on buying anything. though i suppose that's when the money starts to leak out slowly....
we took the rest of the afternoon to walk around the park (one of many that spokane is known for) and enjoy the fresh air. it really was the perfect way to spend the day. i'm not sure how high maintenance people think i am, but i really do enjoy just walking around, people watching, eating, and shopping. and if the place is known for parks, i wanna see parks! oh! and carousels! i love carousels. as soon as i saw the one in the park, we had to get on it. i snagged what looked like a cross b/w an antelope and a llama - it was actually quite cute. as we went around and around, the carousel seemed to go faster and faster. until i realized that this was probably the fastest carousel i'd ever been on! erin egged me on to grab a plastic ring, but i was holding on for dear life, trying not to flash anyone in my cute dress, and feeling like my arms were just a little too short to make it happen. plus, i thought i might chip a nail or break a finger in the process. needless to say, i was uber jealous when the girl in front of me picked off several rings w/o blinking an eye. GRRR!!!
after the carousel ride, we grabbed some hawaiian ice, which is essentially lots of shaved ice covered in sugar water. my volcano & watermelon combo was actually quite tasty, though i was glad to have the flavors diluted by all the ice. we ended up bumping into erin's aunts (who were seeing the movie w/us) who'd just made their way through a hawaiian ice themselves! they trekked off to do some shopping and we made our way through the park back to the IMAX theater. and it was good that we showed up when we did b/c the line was already getting quite long. we ended up waiting for an hour, surrounded by what i thought seemed like lots of young, married people. everywhere i turned there were engagement & wedding rings flashing, from folks that looked no more than 25! it was quite bizarre. the rest of the crowd was quite diverse, more diverse than i expected, considering that i hadn't seen too many people of color throughout the day.
needless to say, batman was AMAZING. we were in the center of the theater and so close to the action. and considering that there was so much psychological stuff going on, this film definitely warrants a second viewing. (no worries. kel & i are on this!)
after the movie, we all parted ways. erin & i trekked back to nordstrom's to get her bag (woohoo!) and then we trekked through yet another park, this time w/views of rushing water. it totally reminded me of simon pearce and looking down into the connecticut river. *sigh* considering that we were leaning towards seafood for dinner, erin decided that we should check out ANTHONY'S, one of her favorites in the area. it wasn't until i saw the restaurant at the airport that i even knew it was a chain. but i'm glad i didn't know b/c chains always seem to bring w/them all these negative connotations. and this place definitely went way beyond your typical chain.
as soon as we walked in, we were pretty much seated immediately. we were shown to a lovely booth with a fabulous view of the water. it was actually nicer to sit along the inside so we could see the water but avoid the glare of the sun. our waiter was quite adorable, though he seemed a bit too eager to please at times. (poor thing. it was probably b/c we were so dazzling.)
we started off w/the baja cocktail (w/2 different kinds of shrimp) and a dish of sweet oysters (i forget the exact name). the shrimp were amazing w/the avocado. while the oysters were a bit smaller than i expected, they still went down perfectly w/absolutely NO sand whatsoever. (this is pretty amazing, considering that there ALWAYS seems to be sand in my oysters.) totally fresh and delicious. and no tummy aches later!
for the main entree, i went w/the local fish on the specials list, the columbia river sturgeon, that came w/basmatic rice and sauteed veggies. erin chose one of her favorites, the alaska scallops, that also came w/rice and veggies. considering that this was probably the first time i'd ever had sturgeon before, i wasn't quite sure what to compare the experience to. however, the consistency of the fish was quite nice -- just a little firm w/a bit of chew. i tend to like fish that don't just fall apart in your mouth, and the sturgeon did well in this regard. the flavor was also quite well done, such that the fish didn't require any extra seasoning.
for dessert, i went w/the local ingredients and chose the huckleberry crumble. erin didn't think *too* highly of the rest of the desserts, plus i really wanted some fruit @ that point. when it came to the table (w/a big scoop of vanilla ice cream on top), i couldn't help thinking that it wasn't quite warm enough for me. in terms of texture, though, there was definitely a good ratio of crumble to fruit. more often than not, this ratio is where many restaurants/cafes/coffee shops screw up. you can't have too much crumble, or else the dessert will be really dry. you can't have too much fruit, or else the dessert will be totally wet. so figuring out this magic ratio is absolutely essential to making any fruit crumble perfectly delicious.
anthony's
http://www.anthonys.com/restaurants/info/spokane.html
after dinner, erin & i trekked slowly back to the hotel, wandering in the lovely darkness of night, bumping into eerie-looking statues, chatting about her big move to marquette, and listening to a wedding reception take place on the roof of a nearby hotel. it was really quite relaxing and i couldn't help thinking that i wished i had more times like this with friends. *sigh*
as soon as i got back to the room, i passed out almost immediately. i couldn't even stay awake through an episode of L&O: SVU! i didn't really mind falling asleep early though, especially when i woke up naturally to the nice bright light of morning. somehow my brain & my body had woken me up a little bit before 6AM (!!) even while i was on vacation. and rather than being annoyed, i decided to take advantage of being up.
while i felt horrible that i had to wake up erin to grab the key card for the room, i really really really wanted to go for a swim. YES, can you believe it? MOI. but considering that i'd failed miserably on my freestyle stroke in my last swim class before leaving for spokane, i felt i had to redeem myself. (and to think rusty had JUST offered me all those compliments. *sigh*) unfortunately, this process of redemption required THREE visits to the front desk before my key card actually got me into the indoor pool (which should've opened precisely at 6AM).
but thank the lord that i finally got in b/c it was absolutely AMAZING to have this huge, 4-foot deep, heated pool ALL to myself for a whole luxurious HOUR. i worked on my backstroke and my freestyle stroke, and i was literally there for the whole hour, talking myself through i don't even remember how many lengths of the pool. and except for a few employees wandering through every so often, i was left completely to my own devices. by the time i left, i'd completed some serious laps. and i was happily exhausted from my early morning cardio workout.
by the time i headed back up to the room, erin was already up and watching some golf action. we both took quick showers, packed up, and headed out for our last few hours of adventure together. we weren't quite sure where to go for breakfast, until erin suggested FRANK'S DINER, which is this adorable diner set INSIDE a railroad car! as soon as she mentioned it, i said YES YES YES. i mean, how totally COOL is that?
as soon as that decision was made, we sped on over. and it was good that we were up early b/c we didn't have to wait more than a few minutes before we were seated in a lovely 2-person booth toward the back of the railroad car. it would've been nice to sit at the counter too, but it also would've been a bit of a squish. and who wants to be squished on vacation!
our booth was quite cozy. as was the menu! i considered eating light (for about a minute), but i thought: what the heck! live it up! and since i hadn't had waffles since lou's, i ordered waffles w/priest lake huckleberries, as well as a side order of extra crispy bacon. (i mean, why not go all the way?) erin went w/the blueberry muffin french toast, which also sounded quite delectable. i have no idea why i thought i should eat light b/c i ended up polishing off both of my dishes, as well as the remainder of erin's french toast & fruit. and surprisingly, i could still walk out of there standing upright!
everything was YUMMY, and i couldn't have asked for a better last meal. the service was also quite good, despite the fact that the waitress didn't have any skim milk for my coffee! i certainly wasn't offended or upset by this, but more amused than anything, considering that skim milk is totally the norm in LA. (surprise, surprise.) just ask giselle (my favorite ex-barista)!
frank's diner
http://www.franksdiners.com/index.htm
after breakfast, we decided to walk around yet another park. (god how i love parks!) this one was absolutely gorgeous, with several different gardens embedded within. our first stop was the rose garden, where erin's totally getting married to her prince charming. we then passed through a japanese garden, where we hopped across rocks in a bubbling brook. we even asked a random guy to take our picture on the bridge! (ahem ahem - WHERE'S THAT PHOTO?!). we then made our way into what i thought looked like a mini-versailles garden, where a couple was taking wedding pics. (neither erin nor i were very impressed by the ladies' choice of dresses, but we decided to keep our comments to ourselves.) we finally meandered into a bonsai show of sorts, where erin bumped into an old friend of little substance (HA!) and i picked up a magnet with some lovely, hand-drawn goldfish. the bonsais were also quite fascinating, though i thought it was actually more interesting that a white man was telling me about bonsai-making. hmmm....
as we left the park, we were trying to figure out what to do next. considering that there's only so much to see and do in spokane, erin asked if i wanted to go to idaho. of course, that was an automatic YES! (i mean, when else would i go to IDAHO?!)
so for our last big adventure, erin took me out to coeur d'alene, which is apparently a big lake resort town in idaho, approximately 20-30 minutes from spokane. it was quite lovely and reminded me of nantucket and the cape, what with the older buildings and the cute shops lining both sides of the street.
erin and i sauntered down the main thoroughfare and stopped in to pick up little trinkets here and there. we wandered into this little shop, where we spotted BUTTER LONDON, a shi-shi brand of manicure/pedicure products that erin is in love with. (which is the main reason why it's specially cited here!) i picked up a small bottle of cuticle remover that's supposed to make your cuticles magically disintegrate upon rubbing. i asked the saleswoman whether they were burned off, and she assured me no. of course, i've yet to try it. when i do, i'm sure there will be some news on facebook.
butter london
http://www.butterlondon.com/
we stopped into a few more shops (including one where i finally found my elusive biscuit cutter -- thank god the TSA didn't take it away from me!) before we wandered down toward the lake. erin didn't seem to think there was much to see, but i was quite impressed by the size of the lake and the makeshift beach. i'm not quite sure it was real sand, though i suppose it could've been light dirt. at any rate, it was a lovely expanse of water, especially when i expected fields of corn. and yes, i know, but i can't help my preconceived notions.
before we headed back to the spokane airport, we made a pitstop at the TJ MAXX so that erin could check out more bags. (whoever knew she was such a bag whore?! janet, you two would SO appreciate each other.) after what seemed like an interminable ride (b/c traffic got heavy), erin dropped me off and we said our goodbyes. even though this trip was *so* short, it really was one of the best vacations ever! THANKS ERIN!! i miss you already! *sniff*
(not to take away from this mushy ending or anything, but FYI that i had yet another splendid conversation on my return flight, this time w/an older woman who was on her way back to oregon, and that i had a wonderful time wandering around the amazing seattle airport. oh so much to see! and eat! i even stopped by a butter london boutique in the airport -- what a small world!)
after a long day of working @ murphy, teaching @ wooden, and happy hour-ing @ NPG, i raced home on friday to pick up my one carry-on, stopped off at cafe elysee for some sweet treats, and hopped on the flyaway to LAX for my flight on alaska air.
not to be incredibly snobby and rude (ok, maybe simply to be incredibly snobby and rude), it's totally true that an airline is a reflection of its customers. b/c when i walked into the alaska/horizon air terminal, i was really grossed out.
the terminal was a huge space w/high ceilings, but it wasn't pleasant at all. instead, it was dark and grungy, and the people were all dark and grungy sitting in it. i was totally nauseated. when i finally found my gate, there was no order in which passengers were allowed onto the plane. compared to southwest's overly complicated, A/B/C line, self-assigned seat policy, alaska air's policy was pretty much non-existent. and while the plane was indeed small, that doesn't mean you should go w/o order. geezus christ, people.
at any rate, i got to sit next to this lovely gentleman who grew up in spokane but currently works for northrup grumman. he was a tall gentleman w/rosy cheeks, and we were chatting for pretty much the entire plane ride. this is generally good for me, since it makes me realize that there are cool and interesting people in the world (even if i can't find too many of them in my immediate vicinity - obviously this comment does NOT pertain to folks reading this blog.).
the best thing about this guy was that he's just like me! he mentioned travelling a lot, moving from job to job, and loving change. he has a beautiful wife, no kids, and two dogs! HOORAH for people who don't need to be parents to feel fulfilled. even though i was so exhausted that i was zoning out at some points in the conversation (he even apologized for keeping me up), i forced myself to stay awake, since it's so rare to meet someone on a plane who has enough interesting things to say to keep my attention the whole time. before we parted, we exchanged business cards (which i also love to do - it's cool to think some random people out there know me) and he even mentioned a great internship program at NG. talk about opportunities popping out of nowhere!
as soon as i rolled off the plane and into the terminal, i found erin waiting for me outside. it was so fabulous to see her after years of random catch-up phone calls. sometimes you just need to pick up and go, y'know? buy the ticket and don't look back. and i'm so glad i did b/c we had a totally fun and super relaxing weekend together!
after we hopped in the car, erin drove us to the red lion hotel, where she'd booked us a room to share. i was like "what?! why?!" but she apparently didn't want to inconvenience her dad, in whose guest room she was already staying in. so instead, she booked us a room at a lovely hotel right near downtown. i offered to pay for half, but she wouldn't let me! honestly, she wouldn't let me pay for anything! she said it was awesome enough that i was visiting. AWWW!!!
as soon as i got into bed that first night, i passed out. considering that i'd been waking up all week before 6am, i was completely exhausted. i'm so thankful that we got to sleep in b/c i totally slept more than 8 hours!! (for those of you who know me, you know how rare that is.) and it felt damn good, people, damn good.
to kick off my first (and only) full day in spokane, erin and i drove out to browne's addition to meet up w/her friend jenny and her family for some brunch at CAFE MARRON. the space was light and airy, and the walls were decorated with whimsical paintings and glass vases filled with dried flowers. the most unique thing about the restaurant was what looked like a sliding glass wall that resembled a garage door. basically, the wall could be pulled up (and slid along the ceiling) so that the restaurant opens out to the sidewalk. it was really quite a fascinating piece of handiwork. and definitely something that made the space more casual and relaxing.
as soon as i walked in the door, i spied some yummy-looking scones and i knew i had to order one. (i'm obsessed with scones now that i've been spoiled by alice's teacup and the knowledge that scones don't have to be dry!) we were seated quickly and served drinks right away. i must admit to being slightly off-put by the fact that we were handed paper/takeout menus though. i mean, you can't afford to have nice menus for people dining in?! how bizarre.
regardless, i really had to focus on the food. jenny and i decided on the duck eggs & chorizo. i mean, how delicious does that sound?? jenny's lil sis chose the avocado sandwich, erin went w/the eggs benedict, and jenny's mom thought the pancakes looked too good to pass up. i also picked out two scones: lavender chocolate chip and raspberry (i think). they brought them to the table warm and i cut them up to share. everyone raved. they were super moist and utterly fabulous. the only issue was that i really couldn't taste the lavender, though perhaps the amount of chocolate really overwhelmed any other flavors. not that the chocolate wasn't absolutely delicious of course b/c it totally was.
when the food arrived, we were all happy as clams. jenny & i pretty much inhaled our dishes (bread & all). everyone else made significant progress through their meals. my eggs & chorizo were just the right consistency and flavor, not too mushy and not too salty. and having had the scones beforehand, i was able to get both my sweet & salty fix. needless to say, the company always helps to make the meal. but the food, atmosphere, and service at cafe marron can easily stand on their own.
cafe marron
http://www.cafemarronbrownes.com/cafemarron/index.php
after brunch, erin and i stopped off at the hotel to drop off the car. and then we made our way downtown for some shopping. we decided to pick up our batman IMAX tix first, which we were glad we did, b/c we found out early that the 7pm show was sold out. we decided to get tix for the earlier show at 4pm, which was probably better in terms of scheduling, since that placed us at a perfect dinner time. (i loved it when erin asked me about dinner right after brunch! talk about reading my mind!)
on the way around the square to the mall, erin pointed out some awesome statues that celebrate bloomsday, the longest timed road race, which takes place in spokane. apparently, there are some strict rules, so pay attention if you decide to run it!
bloomsday run
http://www.bloomsdayrun.org/
we decided to start off w/nordstrom's (since i don't think i've ever been in one), but it wasn't anything to rave about. (perhaps nordstrom's rack is different? anyone up for a shopping trip?) however, erin did fall in love w/a bag that we eventually had to go back for later in the evening. (talk about bag on the brain.) we then checked out several cute shops in the area, including a shop called boo radley's, after the infamous character in to kill a mockingbird! who would've thunk? btw, shopping is so relaxing when you're not intent on buying anything. though i suppose that's when the money starts to leak out slowly....
we took the rest of the afternoon to walk around the park (one of many that spokane is known for) and enjoy the fresh air. it really was the perfect way to spend the day. i'm not sure how high maintenance people think i am, but i really do enjoy just walking around, people watching, eating, and shopping. and if the place is known for parks, i wanna see parks! oh! and carousels! i love carousels. as soon as i saw the one in the park, we had to get on it. i snagged what looked like a cross b/w an antelope and a llama - it was actually quite cute. as we went around and around, the carousel seemed to go faster and faster. until i realized that this was probably the fastest carousel i'd ever been on! erin egged me on to grab a plastic ring, but i was holding on for dear life, trying not to flash anyone in my cute dress, and feeling like my arms were just a little too short to make it happen. plus, i thought i might chip a nail or break a finger in the process. needless to say, i was uber jealous when the girl in front of me picked off several rings w/o blinking an eye. GRRR!!!
after the carousel ride, we grabbed some hawaiian ice, which is essentially lots of shaved ice covered in sugar water. my volcano & watermelon combo was actually quite tasty, though i was glad to have the flavors diluted by all the ice. we ended up bumping into erin's aunts (who were seeing the movie w/us) who'd just made their way through a hawaiian ice themselves! they trekked off to do some shopping and we made our way through the park back to the IMAX theater. and it was good that we showed up when we did b/c the line was already getting quite long. we ended up waiting for an hour, surrounded by what i thought seemed like lots of young, married people. everywhere i turned there were engagement & wedding rings flashing, from folks that looked no more than 25! it was quite bizarre. the rest of the crowd was quite diverse, more diverse than i expected, considering that i hadn't seen too many people of color throughout the day.
needless to say, batman was AMAZING. we were in the center of the theater and so close to the action. and considering that there was so much psychological stuff going on, this film definitely warrants a second viewing. (no worries. kel & i are on this!)
after the movie, we all parted ways. erin & i trekked back to nordstrom's to get her bag (woohoo!) and then we trekked through yet another park, this time w/views of rushing water. it totally reminded me of simon pearce and looking down into the connecticut river. *sigh* considering that we were leaning towards seafood for dinner, erin decided that we should check out ANTHONY'S, one of her favorites in the area. it wasn't until i saw the restaurant at the airport that i even knew it was a chain. but i'm glad i didn't know b/c chains always seem to bring w/them all these negative connotations. and this place definitely went way beyond your typical chain.
as soon as we walked in, we were pretty much seated immediately. we were shown to a lovely booth with a fabulous view of the water. it was actually nicer to sit along the inside so we could see the water but avoid the glare of the sun. our waiter was quite adorable, though he seemed a bit too eager to please at times. (poor thing. it was probably b/c we were so dazzling.)
we started off w/the baja cocktail (w/2 different kinds of shrimp) and a dish of sweet oysters (i forget the exact name). the shrimp were amazing w/the avocado. while the oysters were a bit smaller than i expected, they still went down perfectly w/absolutely NO sand whatsoever. (this is pretty amazing, considering that there ALWAYS seems to be sand in my oysters.) totally fresh and delicious. and no tummy aches later!
for the main entree, i went w/the local fish on the specials list, the columbia river sturgeon, that came w/basmatic rice and sauteed veggies. erin chose one of her favorites, the alaska scallops, that also came w/rice and veggies. considering that this was probably the first time i'd ever had sturgeon before, i wasn't quite sure what to compare the experience to. however, the consistency of the fish was quite nice -- just a little firm w/a bit of chew. i tend to like fish that don't just fall apart in your mouth, and the sturgeon did well in this regard. the flavor was also quite well done, such that the fish didn't require any extra seasoning.
for dessert, i went w/the local ingredients and chose the huckleberry crumble. erin didn't think *too* highly of the rest of the desserts, plus i really wanted some fruit @ that point. when it came to the table (w/a big scoop of vanilla ice cream on top), i couldn't help thinking that it wasn't quite warm enough for me. in terms of texture, though, there was definitely a good ratio of crumble to fruit. more often than not, this ratio is where many restaurants/cafes/coffee shops screw up. you can't have too much crumble, or else the dessert will be really dry. you can't have too much fruit, or else the dessert will be totally wet. so figuring out this magic ratio is absolutely essential to making any fruit crumble perfectly delicious.
anthony's
http://www.anthonys.com/restaurants/info/spokane.html
after dinner, erin & i trekked slowly back to the hotel, wandering in the lovely darkness of night, bumping into eerie-looking statues, chatting about her big move to marquette, and listening to a wedding reception take place on the roof of a nearby hotel. it was really quite relaxing and i couldn't help thinking that i wished i had more times like this with friends. *sigh*
as soon as i got back to the room, i passed out almost immediately. i couldn't even stay awake through an episode of L&O: SVU! i didn't really mind falling asleep early though, especially when i woke up naturally to the nice bright light of morning. somehow my brain & my body had woken me up a little bit before 6AM (!!) even while i was on vacation. and rather than being annoyed, i decided to take advantage of being up.
while i felt horrible that i had to wake up erin to grab the key card for the room, i really really really wanted to go for a swim. YES, can you believe it? MOI. but considering that i'd failed miserably on my freestyle stroke in my last swim class before leaving for spokane, i felt i had to redeem myself. (and to think rusty had JUST offered me all those compliments. *sigh*) unfortunately, this process of redemption required THREE visits to the front desk before my key card actually got me into the indoor pool (which should've opened precisely at 6AM).
but thank the lord that i finally got in b/c it was absolutely AMAZING to have this huge, 4-foot deep, heated pool ALL to myself for a whole luxurious HOUR. i worked on my backstroke and my freestyle stroke, and i was literally there for the whole hour, talking myself through i don't even remember how many lengths of the pool. and except for a few employees wandering through every so often, i was left completely to my own devices. by the time i left, i'd completed some serious laps. and i was happily exhausted from my early morning cardio workout.
by the time i headed back up to the room, erin was already up and watching some golf action. we both took quick showers, packed up, and headed out for our last few hours of adventure together. we weren't quite sure where to go for breakfast, until erin suggested FRANK'S DINER, which is this adorable diner set INSIDE a railroad car! as soon as she mentioned it, i said YES YES YES. i mean, how totally COOL is that?
as soon as that decision was made, we sped on over. and it was good that we were up early b/c we didn't have to wait more than a few minutes before we were seated in a lovely 2-person booth toward the back of the railroad car. it would've been nice to sit at the counter too, but it also would've been a bit of a squish. and who wants to be squished on vacation!
our booth was quite cozy. as was the menu! i considered eating light (for about a minute), but i thought: what the heck! live it up! and since i hadn't had waffles since lou's, i ordered waffles w/priest lake huckleberries, as well as a side order of extra crispy bacon. (i mean, why not go all the way?) erin went w/the blueberry muffin french toast, which also sounded quite delectable. i have no idea why i thought i should eat light b/c i ended up polishing off both of my dishes, as well as the remainder of erin's french toast & fruit. and surprisingly, i could still walk out of there standing upright!
everything was YUMMY, and i couldn't have asked for a better last meal. the service was also quite good, despite the fact that the waitress didn't have any skim milk for my coffee! i certainly wasn't offended or upset by this, but more amused than anything, considering that skim milk is totally the norm in LA. (surprise, surprise.) just ask giselle (my favorite ex-barista)!
frank's diner
http://www.franksdiners.com/index.htm
after breakfast, we decided to walk around yet another park. (god how i love parks!) this one was absolutely gorgeous, with several different gardens embedded within. our first stop was the rose garden, where erin's totally getting married to her prince charming. we then passed through a japanese garden, where we hopped across rocks in a bubbling brook. we even asked a random guy to take our picture on the bridge! (ahem ahem - WHERE'S THAT PHOTO?!). we then made our way into what i thought looked like a mini-versailles garden, where a couple was taking wedding pics. (neither erin nor i were very impressed by the ladies' choice of dresses, but we decided to keep our comments to ourselves.) we finally meandered into a bonsai show of sorts, where erin bumped into an old friend of little substance (HA!) and i picked up a magnet with some lovely, hand-drawn goldfish. the bonsais were also quite fascinating, though i thought it was actually more interesting that a white man was telling me about bonsai-making. hmmm....
as we left the park, we were trying to figure out what to do next. considering that there's only so much to see and do in spokane, erin asked if i wanted to go to idaho. of course, that was an automatic YES! (i mean, when else would i go to IDAHO?!)
so for our last big adventure, erin took me out to coeur d'alene, which is apparently a big lake resort town in idaho, approximately 20-30 minutes from spokane. it was quite lovely and reminded me of nantucket and the cape, what with the older buildings and the cute shops lining both sides of the street.
erin and i sauntered down the main thoroughfare and stopped in to pick up little trinkets here and there. we wandered into this little shop, where we spotted BUTTER LONDON, a shi-shi brand of manicure/pedicure products that erin is in love with. (which is the main reason why it's specially cited here!) i picked up a small bottle of cuticle remover that's supposed to make your cuticles magically disintegrate upon rubbing. i asked the saleswoman whether they were burned off, and she assured me no. of course, i've yet to try it. when i do, i'm sure there will be some news on facebook.
butter london
http://www.butterlondon.com/
we stopped into a few more shops (including one where i finally found my elusive biscuit cutter -- thank god the TSA didn't take it away from me!) before we wandered down toward the lake. erin didn't seem to think there was much to see, but i was quite impressed by the size of the lake and the makeshift beach. i'm not quite sure it was real sand, though i suppose it could've been light dirt. at any rate, it was a lovely expanse of water, especially when i expected fields of corn. and yes, i know, but i can't help my preconceived notions.
before we headed back to the spokane airport, we made a pitstop at the TJ MAXX so that erin could check out more bags. (whoever knew she was such a bag whore?! janet, you two would SO appreciate each other.) after what seemed like an interminable ride (b/c traffic got heavy), erin dropped me off and we said our goodbyes. even though this trip was *so* short, it really was one of the best vacations ever! THANKS ERIN!! i miss you already! *sniff*
(not to take away from this mushy ending or anything, but FYI that i had yet another splendid conversation on my return flight, this time w/an older woman who was on her way back to oregon, and that i had a wonderful time wandering around the amazing seattle airport. oh so much to see! and eat! i even stopped by a butter london boutique in the airport -- what a small world!)
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
rockin' oaxacan @ juquila
seeing as how we hadn't seen each other in weeks, dave and i made plans to meet up for some serious grubbin' (as he might say) @ juquila. to make sure we burned off some calories before we stuffed our faces, i suggested walking to the restaurant, which gave us lots of time to catch up on the latest news and debate the big topics. (ok, maybe not so much the latter, but i'm sure we talked about SOMETHING important.)
after 30 minutes of walking (and dave wondering whether i actually knew where i was going), we arrived at juquila. only to find out that he'd been there before! grrr.... i grumble only b/c i love taking my friends to new places, and the initial excitement is thereby depleted if said friend has already been to said place. i gave him the option of trying cafe 50's instead, but i have to say i was pretty relieved when he said that he'd hyped himself up for oaxacan. you know when you wait for something all day long and you get yourself super psyched about it? well, that was me.
by the time we got to juquila, we were both semi-famished. we pretty much dove into the chips, lightly covered in mole & cheese. mmm.... talk about scrumptious. (i mean, we even had to order another plate!) after getting dave a nice amber, we focused our attention on the menu. as soon as i saw the tamales, i knew i had to order one to start. i decided on the tamales de mole, which was masa w/chicken and mole in the middle, all wrapped in a nice banana leaf.
i must admit that i was a bit displeased w/how messily the tamale was put together. it seemed like masa slipped into different layers of the banana leaf wrapping, rather than staying in the center of the wrapping. this created thin sections of masa that were a bit dry, despite being slathered by the amazingly delicious mole. the chicken in the center was a bit dry as well, which wasn't too appetizing. but when you have yummy mole and good conversation going on, i suppose you get distracted enough not to care as much as you normally would.
for the entree, dave went w/the enmoladas and i went w/the coloradito de pollo. i really wanted to try different kinds of mole (which mac had JUST been talking about earlier) so i decided to start with the black mole in my appetizer and the red mole in my entree. the waitress was lovely enough to allow me to substitute the rice w/veggies. and the whole dish, chicken & veggies covered in red mole, was delicious. it was probably made better by the fact that the kitchen used dark meat chicken, which is slightly fattier and soaks up more flavor.
while both of my dishes were fabulous, i decided to save about 1/2 of each so that i'd have yummy leftovers. plus, i was really interested in trying the burnt milk ice cream for dessert. i've certainly met my match in terms of eating b/c dave was equally interested in ending on a sweet note. he went for the lime ice cream, which i have to admit that i enjoyed more. while i had to disagree w/his slightly dramatic sentiment that it tasted like "limes off a tree," i have to say that it did taste very light and fresh. on the other hand, mine tasted a bit too sweet and a bit too burnt. i couldn't take more than a few bites before i started to pick at dave's.
at the end of the meal, i decided that i still preferred oaxacan @ guelaguetza. but considering that this place is much closer, i certainly wouldn't be opposed to going back. next time, i've gotta try the yellow and green moles. y'know, gotta round out the mole experience...
juquila
11619 santa monica blvd
los angeles, ca 90025
310.312.1079
after 30 minutes of walking (and dave wondering whether i actually knew where i was going), we arrived at juquila. only to find out that he'd been there before! grrr.... i grumble only b/c i love taking my friends to new places, and the initial excitement is thereby depleted if said friend has already been to said place. i gave him the option of trying cafe 50's instead, but i have to say i was pretty relieved when he said that he'd hyped himself up for oaxacan. you know when you wait for something all day long and you get yourself super psyched about it? well, that was me.
by the time we got to juquila, we were both semi-famished. we pretty much dove into the chips, lightly covered in mole & cheese. mmm.... talk about scrumptious. (i mean, we even had to order another plate!) after getting dave a nice amber, we focused our attention on the menu. as soon as i saw the tamales, i knew i had to order one to start. i decided on the tamales de mole, which was masa w/chicken and mole in the middle, all wrapped in a nice banana leaf.
i must admit that i was a bit displeased w/how messily the tamale was put together. it seemed like masa slipped into different layers of the banana leaf wrapping, rather than staying in the center of the wrapping. this created thin sections of masa that were a bit dry, despite being slathered by the amazingly delicious mole. the chicken in the center was a bit dry as well, which wasn't too appetizing. but when you have yummy mole and good conversation going on, i suppose you get distracted enough not to care as much as you normally would.
for the entree, dave went w/the enmoladas and i went w/the coloradito de pollo. i really wanted to try different kinds of mole (which mac had JUST been talking about earlier) so i decided to start with the black mole in my appetizer and the red mole in my entree. the waitress was lovely enough to allow me to substitute the rice w/veggies. and the whole dish, chicken & veggies covered in red mole, was delicious. it was probably made better by the fact that the kitchen used dark meat chicken, which is slightly fattier and soaks up more flavor.
while both of my dishes were fabulous, i decided to save about 1/2 of each so that i'd have yummy leftovers. plus, i was really interested in trying the burnt milk ice cream for dessert. i've certainly met my match in terms of eating b/c dave was equally interested in ending on a sweet note. he went for the lime ice cream, which i have to admit that i enjoyed more. while i had to disagree w/his slightly dramatic sentiment that it tasted like "limes off a tree," i have to say that it did taste very light and fresh. on the other hand, mine tasted a bit too sweet and a bit too burnt. i couldn't take more than a few bites before i started to pick at dave's.
at the end of the meal, i decided that i still preferred oaxacan @ guelaguetza. but considering that this place is much closer, i certainly wouldn't be opposed to going back. next time, i've gotta try the yellow and green moles. y'know, gotta round out the mole experience...
juquila
11619 santa monica blvd
los angeles, ca 90025
310.312.1079
Monday, July 14, 2008
NSCA-certified!!
FYI that yours truly is OFFICIALLY NSCA-certified!! : )
i'm really not sure how i passed the test b/c i thought it was *so* hard. (no, i'm serious.)
but i did!! WOOHOO!! : )
ok, who's signing up first??
national strength & conditioning association
http://www.nsca-lift.org/
i'm really not sure how i passed the test b/c i thought it was *so* hard. (no, i'm serious.)
but i did!! WOOHOO!! : )
ok, who's signing up first??
national strength & conditioning association
http://www.nsca-lift.org/
Saturday, July 12, 2008
swingers
after debating back & forth more than necessary, i met up w/viv for dinner out in santa monica. i was exhausted from the day, so i'm glad i got a bit of a power nap in before our early dinner (regardless of the drool on my futon).
i decided that we should check out swingers, who everyone (including sarah, camelia, and katie -- all veggie-oriented folks) have raved about. since i wanted to go light for dinner, this was the perfect place. the girls had all mentioned how great this place was in terms of veggie options, so i definitely checked out those dishes first. my eyes fell on the veggie burrito and the veggie wrap, both of which looked scrumptious. however, i really wanted tofu and i really wasn't feeling the crispy onions, so i went w/the burrito.
normally (as i'd mentioned to katie just the other day), i'm pretty anti-rice, which means i'm pretty anti-burrito (at least the typical ones). but when i saw that this burrito had quinoa (along w/tofu and spinach), the decision was pretty easy. not only was everything wrapped up nicely in a whole wheat tortilla, but it was *really* good and super light. i finished it (as i do most things) pretty quick (though i really ought to train myself to eat slower), and i didn't feel it in my tummy at all! which is always fabulous b/c i really hate that gross full feeling i get from eating just a tad too much. *sigh*
when i was mid-burrito, i decided to order the side of mac n' cheese as well, since it's been AGES since i've had it. unfortunately, i was totally disappointed b/c it was totally bland and not cheesy enough. plus, they totally skimped on the breadcrumbs! viv says she's not a fan, but i really don't think she knows any better (sorry, viv) b/c it's ALL about the breadcrumbs. and despite its similar neon yellow/orange hue, this dish was way less flavorful than velveeta's version. never mind comparing it to the real thing.
viv ordered the turkey meatloaf, which came out on a plate w/a bit of spinach and literally the biggest mound of mashed potatoes i'd ever seen. i mean, it looked as big as a hamster! needless to say, she barely made it through 1/3 of the dish and had to take home leftovers. but the meatloaf itself was quite moist, which is very much unlike other meatloaves i've had. it's still not really my thing, but at least this version had a bit more texture and it wasn't just a lot of crap mushed together. i mean, we could taste stuff in it!
while the service was pretty good (w/the waiter coming to check on us pretty regularly), i was annoyed by the fact that he brought us the check w/o us asking for it. when that happens, i always feel rushed. i mean, i don't LOOK done, do i? plus, you never know if i'm going to want something else! and that's totally what happened tonight. the guy brought the check. but viv & i had totally been checking out the red velvet cupcake from the beginning! so we definitely had to order that. we split it and both of us found it a little dry. (thankfully, nothing close to the ones at one sunset, which had totally tasted like cardboard. totally gross.)
so the guy brought the check again. but then we decided to try another cupcake. this time, the chocolate one w/peanut butter frosting. when we ordered it, the waiter seemed surprised. (i mean, what? do we look like we can't handle it?) we split this one too and both us found it much moister than the red velvet one, though i enjoyed the PB frosting more than viv, who thought it wasn't PB-ey enough. personally, i thought it was perfectly delish. (i mean, who wants a glob of PB on top of a moist chocolate cake anyways? well, i guess viv did.)
when the guy brought the check the last time, viv was actually still considering the raspberry cupcake, though i really didn't think i could handle any more sugar. so thankfully for the waiter, we finally paid. but seriously, he wouldn't have had to change up the check if he'd just waited till we asked for it. so there, point made.
at any rate, everything was really really good -- and i still felt pretty light when i left! i think we both felt heavier from dessert, which is the whole point of making room for it at the end! this is definitely a returner. next time, i'm tackling the veggie wrap. woohoo!
swingers
http://www.swingersdiner.com/
i decided that we should check out swingers, who everyone (including sarah, camelia, and katie -- all veggie-oriented folks) have raved about. since i wanted to go light for dinner, this was the perfect place. the girls had all mentioned how great this place was in terms of veggie options, so i definitely checked out those dishes first. my eyes fell on the veggie burrito and the veggie wrap, both of which looked scrumptious. however, i really wanted tofu and i really wasn't feeling the crispy onions, so i went w/the burrito.
normally (as i'd mentioned to katie just the other day), i'm pretty anti-rice, which means i'm pretty anti-burrito (at least the typical ones). but when i saw that this burrito had quinoa (along w/tofu and spinach), the decision was pretty easy. not only was everything wrapped up nicely in a whole wheat tortilla, but it was *really* good and super light. i finished it (as i do most things) pretty quick (though i really ought to train myself to eat slower), and i didn't feel it in my tummy at all! which is always fabulous b/c i really hate that gross full feeling i get from eating just a tad too much. *sigh*
when i was mid-burrito, i decided to order the side of mac n' cheese as well, since it's been AGES since i've had it. unfortunately, i was totally disappointed b/c it was totally bland and not cheesy enough. plus, they totally skimped on the breadcrumbs! viv says she's not a fan, but i really don't think she knows any better (sorry, viv) b/c it's ALL about the breadcrumbs. and despite its similar neon yellow/orange hue, this dish was way less flavorful than velveeta's version. never mind comparing it to the real thing.
viv ordered the turkey meatloaf, which came out on a plate w/a bit of spinach and literally the biggest mound of mashed potatoes i'd ever seen. i mean, it looked as big as a hamster! needless to say, she barely made it through 1/3 of the dish and had to take home leftovers. but the meatloaf itself was quite moist, which is very much unlike other meatloaves i've had. it's still not really my thing, but at least this version had a bit more texture and it wasn't just a lot of crap mushed together. i mean, we could taste stuff in it!
while the service was pretty good (w/the waiter coming to check on us pretty regularly), i was annoyed by the fact that he brought us the check w/o us asking for it. when that happens, i always feel rushed. i mean, i don't LOOK done, do i? plus, you never know if i'm going to want something else! and that's totally what happened tonight. the guy brought the check. but viv & i had totally been checking out the red velvet cupcake from the beginning! so we definitely had to order that. we split it and both of us found it a little dry. (thankfully, nothing close to the ones at one sunset, which had totally tasted like cardboard. totally gross.)
so the guy brought the check again. but then we decided to try another cupcake. this time, the chocolate one w/peanut butter frosting. when we ordered it, the waiter seemed surprised. (i mean, what? do we look like we can't handle it?) we split this one too and both us found it much moister than the red velvet one, though i enjoyed the PB frosting more than viv, who thought it wasn't PB-ey enough. personally, i thought it was perfectly delish. (i mean, who wants a glob of PB on top of a moist chocolate cake anyways? well, i guess viv did.)
when the guy brought the check the last time, viv was actually still considering the raspberry cupcake, though i really didn't think i could handle any more sugar. so thankfully for the waiter, we finally paid. but seriously, he wouldn't have had to change up the check if he'd just waited till we asked for it. so there, point made.
at any rate, everything was really really good -- and i still felt pretty light when i left! i think we both felt heavier from dessert, which is the whole point of making room for it at the end! this is definitely a returner. next time, i'm tackling the veggie wrap. woohoo!
swingers
http://www.swingersdiner.com/
dodgers stadium
so i'm not a fan of sports (generally-speaking), particularly SLOW sports. and i'm definitely not a fan of watching sports live, especially if i think i'm going to be bored out of my mind. so the only way to keep my attention is to put me in a box -- a really really nice box. luckily for me, i've had some amazing friends who've had some amazing perks, thereby allowing me to sit in a yankees stadium box (thanks, lily!) and a dodgers stadium box (thanks, michelle!).
so when i received a last-minute call from kel about watching the dodgers game, i was only mildly interested. even when she said she really wanted me to go, i was still only mildly interested. but when she offered to pick me up on my schedule (since i'd already made plans to catch up w/lily), i decided that i shouldn't be a brat and that i should just go.
after a way-too-long drive and an annoying hike (due not to the intensity of the hike, but to the heinous drunk guys that followed us, hootin' and hollerin' like dumbasses), we finally made our way into the stadium. to be honest, the air was quite oppressive. and i wasn't sure how we were going to be able to stand the heat and humidity. (yes, humidity! probably due to all the dodger dog-making machines, i'm thinking.) thankfully, the air quality changed for the better w/in minutes. whew!
at first, we thought we were headed up to some nosebleed seats. but lo and behold, when we had our tickets checked, we were directed (drumroll, please) to the ground level! and while we weren't in box seats, we were waaaaaaaaaaaay closer to the field than i'd ever imagined we'd be. i mean, we were really really close! and that just made everything better. *sigh* (i know, i'm pretty easy to please. HA!)
aside from passing by homer simpson (i hope the guy inside the suit had some AC) and some really yummy-looking food stands (i'm so glad i wasn't hungry b/c i saw cupcakes!), and meeting kel's fun bunch of intern friends (larissa, melissa, jacob, and barry), the best part of the night was getting one of the balls from the game! apparently, barry's a groundskeeper on the side, and he was able to get one for each of us! he told us that baseballs only have a shelf life of 6 hits, so it really wasn't a big deal for him to get them. but for us (or maybe just me), it was a pretty big deal! i mean, seriously!
the coolest part (and i know this is awful) was when the woman across the way asked where i'd gotten the ball and whether i'd just asked the guy for it. to which i replied "oh, we know him" in that oh-so-cool manner that's oh-so-typical of LA folks. i guess this is what status feels like. OH YEAH. now if only i could've made it onto the big screen.... (which i did at yankee stadium by the way -- another reason to love box seats!)
thanks, kel, for a fabulous last-minute trip! oh how i love spontaneity! (when it works out, of course.)
dodgers official site
http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=la
so when i received a last-minute call from kel about watching the dodgers game, i was only mildly interested. even when she said she really wanted me to go, i was still only mildly interested. but when she offered to pick me up on my schedule (since i'd already made plans to catch up w/lily), i decided that i shouldn't be a brat and that i should just go.
after a way-too-long drive and an annoying hike (due not to the intensity of the hike, but to the heinous drunk guys that followed us, hootin' and hollerin' like dumbasses), we finally made our way into the stadium. to be honest, the air was quite oppressive. and i wasn't sure how we were going to be able to stand the heat and humidity. (yes, humidity! probably due to all the dodger dog-making machines, i'm thinking.) thankfully, the air quality changed for the better w/in minutes. whew!
at first, we thought we were headed up to some nosebleed seats. but lo and behold, when we had our tickets checked, we were directed (drumroll, please) to the ground level! and while we weren't in box seats, we were waaaaaaaaaaaay closer to the field than i'd ever imagined we'd be. i mean, we were really really close! and that just made everything better. *sigh* (i know, i'm pretty easy to please. HA!)
aside from passing by homer simpson (i hope the guy inside the suit had some AC) and some really yummy-looking food stands (i'm so glad i wasn't hungry b/c i saw cupcakes!), and meeting kel's fun bunch of intern friends (larissa, melissa, jacob, and barry), the best part of the night was getting one of the balls from the game! apparently, barry's a groundskeeper on the side, and he was able to get one for each of us! he told us that baseballs only have a shelf life of 6 hits, so it really wasn't a big deal for him to get them. but for us (or maybe just me), it was a pretty big deal! i mean, seriously!
the coolest part (and i know this is awful) was when the woman across the way asked where i'd gotten the ball and whether i'd just asked the guy for it. to which i replied "oh, we know him" in that oh-so-cool manner that's oh-so-typical of LA folks. i guess this is what status feels like. OH YEAH. now if only i could've made it onto the big screen.... (which i did at yankee stadium by the way -- another reason to love box seats!)
thanks, kel, for a fabulous last-minute trip! oh how i love spontaneity! (when it works out, of course.)
dodgers official site
http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=la
bella pita
after what i considered a fairly intense workout, katie and i strolled down to westwood for some good eats. we decided that showers were unnecessary when both people were sweaty AND hungry. (FYI that the logic doesn't necessarily apply to boys, though it depends on whether their sweat smells like rose petals.)
as we were walking and talking, we somehow ended up at the corner of le conte and westwood w/no idea of what we were going to eat. even though i hate feeling rushed, since i had to be on VC at 3pm, i really couldn't linger anywhere for too long. so it was awesome when katie suggested bella pita, a little falafel place on gayley that i'd yet to try.
i swear i'd heard that mac's gf's dad opened the place, but i'm still not positive. (i'll have to ask him when he gets back from turkey.) i do remember thinking every so often that i hope it doesn't close. i mean, it's just such a hole-in-the-wall sort of place that the food really has to be damn good to keep it open what w/all the rent prices soaring in westwood.
when we walked in, katie gave me the rundown. (honestly, i was just going to order what she ordered, so i wouldn't have to think too much.) you place your order, they put it in a pita, and then you go to the adjacent salad bar and load it w/veggies (like lettuce, roasted cauliflower, cucumbers, and tomatoes) and douse it w/sauces (like hummus -- and yes, i know it's not really a sauce, but it fit in this section, so shut up already -- and tahini).
even though the place was HOT as anything, the order was cheap, quick, and delicious! i got three little well-browned falafels (that were totally not greasy) in a thin pita shell (thereby minimizing the bread-ey quality). i threw in lots of veggies first (mmm....), including lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, and the last 3 shreds of roasted cauliflower left in the bin (i just couldn't wait for more). and then i threw on lots of hummus (which katie raved about), as well as some tahini, some red/orange sauce (which could've been roasted red pepper something or other), and some white sauce (which katie thought might be tahini, but had to have been different since it was in a separate bottle).
the whole stuffed pita fit nicely in a piece of wax paper, which fit nicely in my hand. we'd originally decided to take the food to my apt, but realized that we probably wouldn't make it over there w/much left in our hands. i suggested pinkberry, so we sauntered down there, simultaneously digging at (w/my dainty fork) and munching on our falafel pitas.
it's been a while since i've had falafel (and i daresay this might've been my first time, though i swear i've had it before in NY, which means this might've been my first time in LA). katie and i were talking about falafel king on broxton, where i think i've only had yummy roast chicken. i guess i've just never been too into chickpeas. but now that i'm trying to eat lighter and more vegetarian, this whole chickpea idea is really appealing. especially when they retain their grainy texture and they're fried to a crisp!
i thought my falafel pita was absolutely scrumptious. since i piled the veggies on high, i got several nice bites of those w/all the sauces before i even got near the falafels themselves. thankfully, the sauces made a nice dribble down to the bottom along the inside of the pita. (go sauces! they were probably racing each other for some hot falafel action.)
when i bit into the falafels, they were the perfect consistency of crispy outside and crumbly inside. the only thing that weirded me out was how green the insides were. i asked katie and she thought it must be an herb addition that made them that color. and she mentioned that the place had probably toned down their initial color b/c she'd heard that the falafels were almost neon green initally. now THAT would've been disturbing.
we topped off the afternoon w/some yummy pinkberry and great catch-up convo, both of which are fabulous treats. i'm ending this blog entry by giving a special shout-out to katie's bf kevin (at least i think that's his name), who was nice enough to give us time to catch up (even though he was in westwood), but would've been totally welcome to lunch w/us!
bella pita
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/395024
as we were walking and talking, we somehow ended up at the corner of le conte and westwood w/no idea of what we were going to eat. even though i hate feeling rushed, since i had to be on VC at 3pm, i really couldn't linger anywhere for too long. so it was awesome when katie suggested bella pita, a little falafel place on gayley that i'd yet to try.
i swear i'd heard that mac's gf's dad opened the place, but i'm still not positive. (i'll have to ask him when he gets back from turkey.) i do remember thinking every so often that i hope it doesn't close. i mean, it's just such a hole-in-the-wall sort of place that the food really has to be damn good to keep it open what w/all the rent prices soaring in westwood.
when we walked in, katie gave me the rundown. (honestly, i was just going to order what she ordered, so i wouldn't have to think too much.) you place your order, they put it in a pita, and then you go to the adjacent salad bar and load it w/veggies (like lettuce, roasted cauliflower, cucumbers, and tomatoes) and douse it w/sauces (like hummus -- and yes, i know it's not really a sauce, but it fit in this section, so shut up already -- and tahini).
even though the place was HOT as anything, the order was cheap, quick, and delicious! i got three little well-browned falafels (that were totally not greasy) in a thin pita shell (thereby minimizing the bread-ey quality). i threw in lots of veggies first (mmm....), including lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, and the last 3 shreds of roasted cauliflower left in the bin (i just couldn't wait for more). and then i threw on lots of hummus (which katie raved about), as well as some tahini, some red/orange sauce (which could've been roasted red pepper something or other), and some white sauce (which katie thought might be tahini, but had to have been different since it was in a separate bottle).
the whole stuffed pita fit nicely in a piece of wax paper, which fit nicely in my hand. we'd originally decided to take the food to my apt, but realized that we probably wouldn't make it over there w/much left in our hands. i suggested pinkberry, so we sauntered down there, simultaneously digging at (w/my dainty fork) and munching on our falafel pitas.
it's been a while since i've had falafel (and i daresay this might've been my first time, though i swear i've had it before in NY, which means this might've been my first time in LA). katie and i were talking about falafel king on broxton, where i think i've only had yummy roast chicken. i guess i've just never been too into chickpeas. but now that i'm trying to eat lighter and more vegetarian, this whole chickpea idea is really appealing. especially when they retain their grainy texture and they're fried to a crisp!
i thought my falafel pita was absolutely scrumptious. since i piled the veggies on high, i got several nice bites of those w/all the sauces before i even got near the falafels themselves. thankfully, the sauces made a nice dribble down to the bottom along the inside of the pita. (go sauces! they were probably racing each other for some hot falafel action.)
when i bit into the falafels, they were the perfect consistency of crispy outside and crumbly inside. the only thing that weirded me out was how green the insides were. i asked katie and she thought it must be an herb addition that made them that color. and she mentioned that the place had probably toned down their initial color b/c she'd heard that the falafels were almost neon green initally. now THAT would've been disturbing.
we topped off the afternoon w/some yummy pinkberry and great catch-up convo, both of which are fabulous treats. i'm ending this blog entry by giving a special shout-out to katie's bf kevin (at least i think that's his name), who was nice enough to give us time to catch up (even though he was in westwood), but would've been totally welcome to lunch w/us!
bella pita
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/395024
Thursday, July 10, 2008
anisette & SM farmer's market
after a flurry of FB chats, jeannine and i decided to check out anisette, a new brasserie apparently being raved about by the likes of jonathan gold. after skimming through some online reviews (which i almost never do), i got myself all psyched up for breakfast at this new santa monica spot. and i must admit, in no way was i disappointed by this dining experience!
as soon as we walked into the restaurant, i was floored by the architecture and design of the space. the ceilings were so high that they seemed almost unreachable. the mirrors were delightfully antiqued by light smudges of faux smoke. the wood was dark, the bar was long, and the booths were comfortable enough for diners to lounge in for hours and hours. more than anything, i loved the airiness of the space. perhaps this was due to the early hour (we walked in around 9:30am), but i appreciated not bumping elbows with adjacent guests and having lots of space above my head. yes, midget that i am, there's something about having lots of head and leg room that really does it for me.
not only was the atmosphere everything i'd hoped for, but the food was absolutely amazing. after some deliberation over the delicious menu (which took longer than usual since none of the menus have been posted online for pre-meal perusal), we decided to go family style and order to share. jeannine made a fabulous point about the challenge of choosing between sweet and savory for the first meal of the day. so we decided to order one of each! for our sweet option, we decided on the french breakfast, which consisted of 3 different pastries (croissant, chocolate croissant, soft roll), a cup of coffee or hot chocolate (she chose the chocolate), and a cup of juice (i chose the grapefruit). for our savory option, we picked the savory croissant sandwich that came w/eggs, spinach, a bit of turkey (i think), and a bit of cheese (i think). (this is the problem with not blogging right after the meal -- and with not having a snazzy new digital camera to record my gastronomic adventures. *hint hint*)
what i do remember is that the pastries were absolutely phenomenal. the croissant was light and flaky (probably due to an incredible amount of butter, but who cares, right?). the chocolate croissant was similarly so, and encapsulated just the right amount of warm chocolate (not too firm, not too melty, pretty much just right -- and yes, i totally feel like goldilocks right now). i think the roll could've been slightly moister, but otherwise, it was quite delicious. the savory croissant was yummier than i expected, especially since i'm not the biggest fan of sandwiches. i'm not sure how people eat croissant sandwiches generally, but i'd definitely consider it a fork-and-knife venture, especially since really good croissants will most likely soak up all the moistness from the rest of the ingredients. just so i don't leave them out, the hot chocolate was yummy and the grapefruit juice was perfect with just the slightest bit of tang.
as an aside, i must admit that i wished i'd been hungrier b/c the english breakfast looked amazing and had received rave reviews. i'm thinking i *have* to go back and try the blood sausage. anyone up for some hearty fare??
anisette brasserie
http://www.anisettebrasserie.com/
to walk off some of our breakfast, we decided to check out the SM farmer's market that was going on just a few blocks away. i must've been here on a weekend the first time b/c it was *so* much less crowded on a weekday! there was tons of produce (more so even than the union square farmer's market in nyc, which tends to be slightly more bread-heavy) and everything was soooooooo fresh! and god how i love samples.... despite being stuffed, i couldn't help myself to some delicious strawberries and peaches. mmm....
SM farmer's market
http://www.smgov.net/farmers_market/
as soon as we walked into the restaurant, i was floored by the architecture and design of the space. the ceilings were so high that they seemed almost unreachable. the mirrors were delightfully antiqued by light smudges of faux smoke. the wood was dark, the bar was long, and the booths were comfortable enough for diners to lounge in for hours and hours. more than anything, i loved the airiness of the space. perhaps this was due to the early hour (we walked in around 9:30am), but i appreciated not bumping elbows with adjacent guests and having lots of space above my head. yes, midget that i am, there's something about having lots of head and leg room that really does it for me.
not only was the atmosphere everything i'd hoped for, but the food was absolutely amazing. after some deliberation over the delicious menu (which took longer than usual since none of the menus have been posted online for pre-meal perusal), we decided to go family style and order to share. jeannine made a fabulous point about the challenge of choosing between sweet and savory for the first meal of the day. so we decided to order one of each! for our sweet option, we decided on the french breakfast, which consisted of 3 different pastries (croissant, chocolate croissant, soft roll), a cup of coffee or hot chocolate (she chose the chocolate), and a cup of juice (i chose the grapefruit). for our savory option, we picked the savory croissant sandwich that came w/eggs, spinach, a bit of turkey (i think), and a bit of cheese (i think). (this is the problem with not blogging right after the meal -- and with not having a snazzy new digital camera to record my gastronomic adventures. *hint hint*)
what i do remember is that the pastries were absolutely phenomenal. the croissant was light and flaky (probably due to an incredible amount of butter, but who cares, right?). the chocolate croissant was similarly so, and encapsulated just the right amount of warm chocolate (not too firm, not too melty, pretty much just right -- and yes, i totally feel like goldilocks right now). i think the roll could've been slightly moister, but otherwise, it was quite delicious. the savory croissant was yummier than i expected, especially since i'm not the biggest fan of sandwiches. i'm not sure how people eat croissant sandwiches generally, but i'd definitely consider it a fork-and-knife venture, especially since really good croissants will most likely soak up all the moistness from the rest of the ingredients. just so i don't leave them out, the hot chocolate was yummy and the grapefruit juice was perfect with just the slightest bit of tang.
as an aside, i must admit that i wished i'd been hungrier b/c the english breakfast looked amazing and had received rave reviews. i'm thinking i *have* to go back and try the blood sausage. anyone up for some hearty fare??
anisette brasserie
http://www.anisettebrasserie.com/
to walk off some of our breakfast, we decided to check out the SM farmer's market that was going on just a few blocks away. i must've been here on a weekend the first time b/c it was *so* much less crowded on a weekday! there was tons of produce (more so even than the union square farmer's market in nyc, which tends to be slightly more bread-heavy) and everything was soooooooo fresh! and god how i love samples.... despite being stuffed, i couldn't help myself to some delicious strawberries and peaches. mmm....
SM farmer's market
http://www.smgov.net/farmers_market/
Sunday, July 6, 2008
jack n' jill's & sprinkles
while i was in kickboxing this morning, i realized that i've been an absolute horrible host, barely seeing my lovely guests this whole weekend! granted, they showed up last-minute, but that doesn't mean i shouldn't make the most out of their visit. i mean, who knows when i'll get to see them again? (*sniff* *sigh* *sniff*) so i decided to shift my plans around so that i could take them out to one of my favorite brunch places in LA, jack n' jill's in beverly hills. i mean, who wouldn't want to end their oh-so-so-cal trip in 90210?
after some quality directions from moi (confirmed by their garmin GPS), we found our way to a not-too-packed jack n' jill's. (thank god for late risers!) i've taken folks to both the beverly hills and santa monica locations, but i must admit to enjoying the beverly hills space much better. when we first walked in, we were directed by a waitress to a table toward the front of the restaurant. neither i nor michelle were pleased w/the location. after beckoning the most-likely-semi-deaf waitress several times for assistance, we were quickly helped by a not-deaf waiter, who showed us to a lovely booth upon request.
once we were comfortably seated (w/soon happily bouncing up and down), we were able to soak up the menu. michelle went light and chose the yogurt parfait, which she was surprised to receive in a tall glass. but aren't all parfaits served in tall glasses? i do believe they are! at any rate, the waiter was quick to bring us a bowl upon request. soon went halfway b/w light & heavy, going w/a veggie omelette & some delicious cornbread. i decided on the pecan citrus salad & some mini blueberry muffins. however, i was floored when i realized my half-portion could've fed a small family. thank god for to-go containers.
jack n' jill's - http://www.eatatjacknjills.com/
even though jack n' jill's pastries are AMAZING, the crowds were getting a bit nuts and we decided to stroll off our calories instead of taking in more. except for a few streets, beverly hills is generally pretty dead, especially on a sunday. however, we did manage to run into several scantily-clad santa clauses on our way down rodeo drive. i'd wanted to say 'only in LA,' but god knows that could just as easily happen in NY. as we wandered through the streets, we found our way to sprinkles, which i've been meaning to check out for MONTHS. the flavors all sounded absolutely delectable, but i ordered the chocolate coconut and the black & white to go. S&M were super generous and offered bites of their red velvet & vanilla. both were SUPER moist, and not too sweet. in other words, DELICIOUS. no wonder bridget's so into them!
sprinkles cupcakes - http://www.sprinklescupcakes.com/
as soon as our sweet teeth were satisfied, we roamed the streets a bit more, being drawn in by all the sale signs. (well, at least i was.) i swear it's a fight to keep myself from whipping out the credit card these days. i don't know how i delude myself into thinking i can afford stuff. (*sigh*) in fact, as i waited on the anthropologie line, i decided to drop everything in my hands and make a bee line for the door. soon seemed shocked that i didn't put everything back in their places, but i don't think he realized my state of anxiety at that point. plus, i'm sorry, that's what salespeople are for. they're not just there to occasionally help people. they're there to put stuff back when people like me freak out about spending their non-existent funds. and i'm glad i saved myself too, b/c we walked into lululemon next and i found fabulous workout pants for less than $60! YAY R&D discount! better yet, i think i can even reverse these babies, thereby essentially purchasing TWO pairs of pants for $60. yes yes, i know i'm a rock star.
since S&M left a few hours ago, i've been sitting here @ iso working on my blog, when i really should've been working on board stuff. it's another half hour or so till dinner time though, which hopefully means i can get some work in. otherwise, it's going to be a long night tonight. thankfully, it's been a lovely weekend, so i really can't complain. it's all about taking life one day at a time. why fret? you're just going to go grey faster. (sorry, mom.)
after some quality directions from moi (confirmed by their garmin GPS), we found our way to a not-too-packed jack n' jill's. (thank god for late risers!) i've taken folks to both the beverly hills and santa monica locations, but i must admit to enjoying the beverly hills space much better. when we first walked in, we were directed by a waitress to a table toward the front of the restaurant. neither i nor michelle were pleased w/the location. after beckoning the most-likely-semi-deaf waitress several times for assistance, we were quickly helped by a not-deaf waiter, who showed us to a lovely booth upon request.
once we were comfortably seated (w/soon happily bouncing up and down), we were able to soak up the menu. michelle went light and chose the yogurt parfait, which she was surprised to receive in a tall glass. but aren't all parfaits served in tall glasses? i do believe they are! at any rate, the waiter was quick to bring us a bowl upon request. soon went halfway b/w light & heavy, going w/a veggie omelette & some delicious cornbread. i decided on the pecan citrus salad & some mini blueberry muffins. however, i was floored when i realized my half-portion could've fed a small family. thank god for to-go containers.
jack n' jill's - http://www.eatatjacknjills.com/
even though jack n' jill's pastries are AMAZING, the crowds were getting a bit nuts and we decided to stroll off our calories instead of taking in more. except for a few streets, beverly hills is generally pretty dead, especially on a sunday. however, we did manage to run into several scantily-clad santa clauses on our way down rodeo drive. i'd wanted to say 'only in LA,' but god knows that could just as easily happen in NY. as we wandered through the streets, we found our way to sprinkles, which i've been meaning to check out for MONTHS. the flavors all sounded absolutely delectable, but i ordered the chocolate coconut and the black & white to go. S&M were super generous and offered bites of their red velvet & vanilla. both were SUPER moist, and not too sweet. in other words, DELICIOUS. no wonder bridget's so into them!
sprinkles cupcakes - http://www.sprinklescupcakes.com/
as soon as our sweet teeth were satisfied, we roamed the streets a bit more, being drawn in by all the sale signs. (well, at least i was.) i swear it's a fight to keep myself from whipping out the credit card these days. i don't know how i delude myself into thinking i can afford stuff. (*sigh*) in fact, as i waited on the anthropologie line, i decided to drop everything in my hands and make a bee line for the door. soon seemed shocked that i didn't put everything back in their places, but i don't think he realized my state of anxiety at that point. plus, i'm sorry, that's what salespeople are for. they're not just there to occasionally help people. they're there to put stuff back when people like me freak out about spending their non-existent funds. and i'm glad i saved myself too, b/c we walked into lululemon next and i found fabulous workout pants for less than $60! YAY R&D discount! better yet, i think i can even reverse these babies, thereby essentially purchasing TWO pairs of pants for $60. yes yes, i know i'm a rock star.
since S&M left a few hours ago, i've been sitting here @ iso working on my blog, when i really should've been working on board stuff. it's another half hour or so till dinner time though, which hopefully means i can get some work in. otherwise, it's going to be a long night tonight. thankfully, it's been a lovely weekend, so i really can't complain. it's all about taking life one day at a time. why fret? you're just going to go grey faster. (sorry, mom.)
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