Just Sweet Love

Good Eats: Little Next Door

I might be a bit biased because I own a similar looking expresso-beaned creature myself, but I am so in love with Little Next Door. The moment I stepped inside the restaurant, I felt transported to a charming Parisian bistro with lush green plants and fantastic lighting.  

 

I had the tasiest Moules Frites and my handsome friend over here, Derrick, ordered the whitefish. They have an impressive wine section and a very sweet bakery to match. I just wish we had room at the end of our meal for dessert. I couldn't handle it :) 

Good Eats: Loteria Grill

In the hustle bustle of Farmers Market, there is one particular food stand that sticks out above the rest. All my friends rave about Loteria Grill and I was so excited to finally try it. 

 

The food exceeded my expections! My burrito was jammed pack with flavor and their salsa had the perfect amount of kick. I was left in an overwhelming state of food coma. Yum. 

Honor the Cheese

I am a self-proclaimed grilled cheese aficionado. So it was only natural with yesterday being National Grilled Cheese Day, I had to pay homage to the toasty and gooey goodness. After attending the amazing Sucré show, Lauren and I went to Astroburger to fulfill our grilled cheese fantasty.  

 

Amazing. xo

Good eats: Mama's Lu

So I found my newest obsession: soup dumplings. 

I pass by Mama's Lu a lot when I'm visiting my mom. I see the lines. I see the big families. That must be a good sign, no? 

Indeed. 

 

 

Portland: The Food

So it's been almost three weeks since my Portland trip and I am still dreaming about the food. One, wow, three weeks have flown by already?! Two, I'm sorry it's taken me this long to post these pictures. Three, seriously, the food in Portland is outstanding. 

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Before I proceed, I'd like to dedicate this post to one of my favorite bloggers, the one and only Kelly Purkey. Her creativity is out of control and I am so envious of the food + travel adventures she goes on. In the good way. I love her style and wit and if we played for the same team, you bet your buns I'd be all. over. her. 

Food is a major source of happiness for me and up until reading Kelly, I had so much trouble showcasing the foods I've discovered and loved. It's difficult to take food pictures. Throw in trying to make it look as good as it tastes is even more discerning. 

I've drawn so much inspiration from her, especially from her Seattle food post and the one about shooting what you eat. So thank you Kelly for being so awesome and amazing. Please do not freak out if you catch me making googly eyes at you at the end of March. Amy makes me feel the same, exact way.  

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A very big thank to my seester, Janet, for coordinating this trip. Right down to our food itinerary with the time table of when we were eating and all. Serious business. Let's go :

After hopping off the plane, we unloaded our luggage and stepped off to grab lunch. Mother's Bistro & Bar wasn't too far of a trek so we decided to hit the eatery first. Amazing!

Pictured here [above] was my favorite dish we ordered, the Wild Salmon Hash. 

After we polished off our meal, we continued walking ahead to our next destination to Voodoo Doughnut. It was on the way to Chinatown.. Believe me? :) 

I was very happy I tried Voodoo, but I can't say I was in love with them. Anyway, we made it to Chinatown but the weather was starting to turn super gloomy so we headed back to the hotel and unwind. 

We had to make a stop at one more place before dinner so Blueplate was up next. 

 

Their grilled cheese was heaven and paired with their tomato soup made me feel right at home. It was the perfect meal for the rain that came pouring as we got to the hotel.  

For dinner, we took to Yelp and found Piazza Italia. We ordered the Pappardelle with wild boar meat sauce (the best dish of them all!), linguine with claims and spaghetti with pesto and shrimp. The food was authentic and while it was not a hit with my group, I thought it was a hit. We were quite tired and didn't take any photos though :(

The following day, the clan and I woke up bright and early to catch Tasty N Sons. Picture this: the restaurant opened at 9:00am. We arrived at 9:15am. The wait was already at an hour! 

It was however, the most amazing breakfast of my life. Every single dish required no additional condiments or alterations. I am the queen of ketchup and didn't need a thing. 

After breakfast, we took a stroll around Boise, Portland and oohed and ahhed over all the cute shops. We slowly made our way to the Pearl District. Next up was Little Big Burger. 

LBB, can you please open up a SoCal location?! Their burgers are bitesized perfection. Their ketchup has a hint of sriracha - it was the best version of anyone's ketchup I have ever tasted! I miss this burger joint so bad! 

Immediately after LBB, we walked straight into Kenny and Zuke's. We didn't take pictures of our pastrami or corned beef sandwiches. (I thought it was a bit too dry!) 

 Any way, for dinner, we followed a suggestion of dining at Screen Door. I've never had fried okra before. It's slimy. Their crispy fried catfish was off the chain but the winner hands down is definitely their brisket. The meat would literally melt in your mouth. YUM !

On Sunday, we woke up very early (again) and made our way to my second favorite restaurant of the trip:

 
No words can describe my affection for this establishment. I love the comfy cozy feel of this tiny restaurant (there's only two tables and few bar stools!), the fluffy freshness of their biscuits and the fact that the owners are called The Biscuit Boys. S o, so, good ! 

After, we went over to The Waffle Window . I think by this point I was over all the eating, but we still had a few more restaurants we needed to cross off Janet's itinerary. Insane. At WW, we had a little bit of savory.. a little bit of sweet... a whole lot of carbs...  

 
The very last restaurant we hit before going home, was the restaurant of our hotel, Urban Farmer. The decor was amazing! It was so open and creative, kind of like walking into an Anthroplogie. The dishes we ordered were.. alright. I'd say come for the atmosphere, not for the food. 

  So there you have it folks. My taste of Portland. I can't to come back! 

Good Eats: Blue Marlin & Beard Papa

On Sawtelle Blvd in West LA, there's a tiny stretch of land that reminds me of a miniature version of J-Town. Whenever I crave Asian food but refuse to drive, I'll always pop by here for some Hurry Curry or Curry House. This time around, I went and tried Blue Marlin with a perfect dessert stop at Beard Papa. 

The restaurant was simple and our waitress was so sweet. They're known for omurice, a combination of omelet and rice, which is what I ordered. I'm glad I tried it, but I'm not sure if I'd eat it again. Different strokes for different folks. 

 

After dinner, Jennifer and I walked over to Beard Papa to cross another spot off GFN.

 

Beard Papa, I would have you for dessert every single day if I could. You're just so yummy.

My Weekend in Photos

This weekend flew by like a blur, I just couldn't keep up. Between packing up my studio for a semi-permanent move, fulfilling orders, tying up loose ends at the shop, and trying to get back the full use of my wrist, it's been a lot of running around. 

Janet and I did find some time to get together and have brunch, which was so nice because I love spending time with her. She took me to this phenomenal place called Europane Cafe in Pasadena, where they're famous for egg salad sandwiches. 

I'm off to take photos of my Dec Daily update for tomorrow! 

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Oh, PS - do I have any Pearl Jam lovers out there? Anyone? Leave a comment below if you are. I have a Pearl Jam present for you. 

Good Eats: Millie's Cafe

On a Sunday morning, hungover and in dire need something yummy and breakfast-y, my girlriend + I took a short drive over the reservoir to an enchanted land called Silverlake. 

I apologize firsthand for displaying a half eaten breakfast filled with ketchup. I didn't realize I hadn't taken a picture yet until I did. Blame It on the Alcohol. 

I loved having breakfast on the sidewalk under the shady green umbrellas. It felt so nice having the breeze on my face whilst enjoying a cup of joe and catching up with Chris. I took to Yelp while waiting to be seated and practically everyone raved about the biscuits.. they weren't magical in my book. A little dry, but it's all good. You win some, lose some. 

 

Good Eats: Tender Greens

I stumbled upon Culver City's farmer's market when I came to meet girlfriends for dinner at Tender Greens. In all its sparkly twinkly light[s] glory, I knew it was going to be a hit.

 

I was so hungry I forgot to take pictures of the cute restaurant. Within good reason because the food is amazing. I had the yummiest bolognese rigatoni. And their salads are so fresh and crunchy. I'm so thankful for good food, wonderful friends and funny conversations. xo

  

Good Eats: Plancha Tacos

I am a huge creature of habit. Once I find something I like, I can ride the wave over and over until the end of time. Like my favorite obsessive haunts back home, Plancha Tacos has easily become a new creature of habit. 

 

  Owner Pete White of Poquito Mas fame is the brainchild of this wonderful operation. The Tex-Mex fare is incredibly fresh with an amazing staff. Since trying Plancha, I've been back three times in the same week (!). 

True story: for a good couple months, my office would order in Poquito Mas every single Friday - Poquito Mas Fridays! Needless to say, everyone got sick and tired of it. I, on the other hand, could have continued on with Poquito Mas Fridays until forever :)