Elysée

I have a soft spot for baked goods, pastries, sweets, crepes, and local businesses.


Elysée Bakery is a home run.

 Two cases full of delectable treats.

Vanilla Round Two

I found myself in Santa Monica again Friday, picking up cupcakes to do my best friend a favor.

Since I happened to be at Vanilla yet again, I couldn't resist picking up another batch of their cupcakes.

Ozumo

Gorgeous is the only word I can use to describe the new Santa Monica Place.
It's gigantic, modern, spacious, airy, and just beautiful.  Money oozes from the architecture alone, not to mention the high-end retail occupying every store.

The top floor of Santa Monica Place is the Restaurant Deck - a food court with glass panel wall and7 "chef-driven" restaurants.

Though all were equally tempting, today I found myself enjoying the happy hour specials at Ozumo.

Café 1919

Here at UCLA, we're spoiled.

Our food is outstanding cafeteria food, and the on-campus residential restaurants also serve up some very tasty (albeit very unhealthy) dishes.

My cohort Jen surprised me today by bringing back a sinful combination of gelato from Café 1919: Dark Chocolate/Pistachio and Espresso/Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.

The Griddle

If you're hungry (and I mean REALLY hungry), The Griddle is the place for you.

The menu is large enough to have its own blog, ranging from breakfast staples such as pancakes or omelets to twists on lunch favorites, like shrimp BLTs and Cobb burgers.

Portions are insane and menacing, each pancake at least a foot in diameter (ask for just one - only $1 or $2 less, but you won't get a visual food coma).

 "Mounds of Pleasure"

"Banana Nana"

Vanilla

Normally, something vanilla is plain, boring, dull, unimaginative, and overdone.

This cannot be said, however, for Vanilla Bake Shop (512 Wilshire, Santa Monica, CA).

 Cupcake excitement.

Meyer Lemon Raspberry

Tart, flavorful curd inside,

balanced by the sweetness of the frosting.

Textural variety from the sugar crystals on the frosting.

The sweet bite of the raspberry completes an excellent flavor mix.

Westwood Farmer's Market

Wednesdays, 2-7 p.m., 1083 Broxton, Westwood, California.

A great excuse to slip off campus for an hour or so, especially as a fresh-fruit-deprived student.

Some handcrafted jewelry and trinkets, lots of fresh fruit, these gorgeous cakes (2 for $5 - Chocolate Kahlua and Italian Rum) and, of course, street food.

Nom-Nom Truck

Wednesday was an awesome day for food.

First on the list was the Nom-Nom (see The Great Food Truck Race) truck's visit to the Court of Sciences on South Campus.
At least they have something to offer down there.




The line stretched to about 40 people before the truck even opened.
And the wait (for those who didn't arrive quite as early) would be well worth it.

If you get the chance, eat here.

I had the staple bánh mì - thịt nướng (grilled pork with honey glaze) sandwiches between a fresh baguette, mayonnaise, jalapeños, cucumber, cilantro, and marinated carrot and daikon.
It's as good as it sounds, no doubt.

Holiday Foods

Everyone knows that the holidays are filled with family and lots of food.

The First

Something tells me the first blog post is always the most awkward, uncomfortable, and forced.
So far, my instincts are right.

My goal is to explore the restaurants, food trucks, dives, holes-in-the-walls, and other eateries in Los Angeles (usually with the companionship of my partner-in-food-crime, the lovely Ms. Jen).   Clearly it would be impossible to get to all of them, so I'm relying on a combination of word-of-mouth, books, magazines, blogs, newspapers, and luck to find the best of the best.
Thoughts and comments on my recent culinary adventures will eventually fill this blog - hopefully rather well, but I can't guarantee that just yet.
Either way, happy eating to all.

 - Mike