The "It" Restaurants

From various friends being in town to treating myself to a nice meal, I have recently been hitting up some of LA’s hot spots. Normally I am a stickler for not eating out, but Los Angeles literally has some of the best restaurants in America next to New York City. A place I had been dying to check out is Katsuya. Yes this is the restaurant the Kardashians seem to be obsessed with, but I didn’t want to go for the celebrity sightings. Thankfully, the restaurant has multiple locations including one in Brentwood. Julie and I decided to check out Katsuya for happy hour first to sample some of the restaurant’s most popular dishes for way less. While waiting for our appetizers, I started off with the White Grapefruit Cosmo. The drink ironically contained no grapefruit juice but a combination of vanilla vodka and other fruit juices that blended to taste like grapefruit. Our first appetizer to arrive was the Baked Crab Handroll. Baked snow crab wrapped in soy paper and drizzled with the Chef’s signature sauce was amazing. I didn’t think anything could top this dish, but the Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna proved me wrong! Small rectangles of rice topped with spicy tuna were then sautéed in a pan making the rice crispy. Shortly after our happy hour food was finished, we were escorted to our table. 

We decided to try some of the other popular dishes. From the other appetizers, we ordered the Spicy Albacore Sashimi with Crispy Onions. Thin slices of albacore tuna lined the plate with crunchy onions on top. The salt of the onions paired well with the light taste of the white tuna. For our main courses, we settled on two sushi rolls. First to arrive at our table was the Rock Shrimp Tempura roll. While I am usually not a big fan of shrimp or tempura, this roll was delicious. An unassuming roll was topped with crispy shrimp in the Chef’s dynamite sauce. For our second roll, we decided on the Rainbow roll, which was a classic California roll topped with fresh fish and avocado. Our roll came with sashimi tuna, salmon, albacore and shrimp. The fish was so fresh and light, which really made the roll. Even though I was absolutely stuffed, we decided to get dessert. It was a tough decision but selected the crème brulee trio that included a mini vanilla bean, espresso and hazelnut. The vanilla bean had such a natural vanilla flavor, and Julie claimed it for herself. I dove into the espresso that had a strong coffee flavor, which is how I like my regular coffee! The hazelnut was good as well but fell considerably short compared to the vanilla bean and espresso. I will definitely be back for Katsuya’s Happy Hour because it was such a good deal. 

On Julie’s last night in town, one of our friends offered to get us the hook up at Fig and Olive on Melrose. She works at the one in New York City, but her old managers actually came out to start the LA branch. Walking into the restaurant, you can immediately tell this has quickly become an “it” spot. The lights are low, and the room is bustling with gorgeous men and women in slightly upscale attire. We were escorted to a reserved table in the lounge area. We started our meal off with some delicious cocktails and a tart. I ordered the Cucumber Cosmo that was not only strong but also refreshing. Vodka and orange liquor was poured over muddled cucumbers with a splash of lime juice. While my drink was fantastic, my roommate’s sangria gave it a run for its money. Titled Sangria Roja, the drink contained fresh muddled berries, whole cloves, hints of vanilla with a orange peel twist and a splash of cognac mixed with red wine. The cognac and cloves is what really made this sangria stand out from any I have had before! Paired with our drinks was an amazing Fig Gorgonzola Tartlet. Gorgonzola melted over a flaky crust with procuitto, roasted figs and walnuts scattered on top. I could literally go back and just have this tart and drinks.

While I scanned the menu, I originally planned to go with the Penne Funghi Tartufo but eventually decided on the Poulet Aux Legumes De Provence. Julie ended up ordering the penne so I was able to try it as well. When our entrees came out, I was more than a little excited. My free-range chicken breast was adorn with Frantoio olive oil along with a side of grilled vegetables including caramelized figs. My dish also came with polenta, which I was a little nervous about. I have had polenta before but wasn’t really a fan. Oh how this polenta changed my mind with its rich almost nutty flavor and perfectly seared top. Julie’s mushroom penne was equally as delicious. It combined cremini mushrooms and black trumpets with Parmesan cheese, scallions and parsley with a sprinkle of white truffle olive oil. Lauren ordered the Paella del Mar, which looked very good, but I didn’t get a taste. We paired our dinner with a nice Chardonnay that had notes of almonds, pears and flowers according to the label. Again, I was stuffed to the brim, but we all wanted dessert since our entrees had been so amazing! Our waitress recommended the chocolate soufflé, and we were completely sold. It came out warm from the oven with a dollop of vanilla ice cream on top. The chocolate cake had orange zest integrated into the batter and really who doesn’t love chocolate and orange together. The cake was moist and super flavorful but not too sweet at the same time. I cannot wait to come back to Fig and Olive for more ridiculously good food!

A Saturday Adventure

Baby grand on the Venice walk

Most Saturdays I spend being extremely lazy at my apartment. I might go to the gym or walk around Brentwood, but it is usually a day of relaxation. Two Saturdays ago was a completely different story. Yes, I worked out. Yes, I hung out at my apartment for a while at least, but the adventure started late afternoon as I headed 15 minutes south to Venice. I had plans to meet up with my friend Cassie, who wanted to start a video blog. For her first post, she wanted to find the stories behind some of Venice’s most interesting people, and there are a lot of them. While Venice is just south of Santa Monica and just north of Marina Del Rey, but it is nothing like these two communities. Venice Beach is lined with street performers, homeless people, and people trying to sell you medical marijuana. Sounds like I fit in perfectly right? I was a little nervous to approach these unique personalities but hoped Cassie would break the ice. We slowly began our search for some interesting people along the walk.  

We ended up spending 95 percent of our time at the skate park on the beach. There was an insane little six-year-old boy that was tearing up the park. He was so cute, and I couldn’t believe he was such a good skateboarder. Shortly after we left the skate park, Cassie received a call out of the blue from a guy we met at happy hour a couple weeks before. He recently moved into a house in the Hills and was getting ready to open up some bottles of champagne to kick off the evening. On a whim, we decided to go and see where the night would take us. While we didn’t end up interviewing anyone, we were excited to see where the night would take us.

We headed up Beverly onto the infamous Mullholland Drive. The view from the top of the hills is absolutely breathtaking and terrifying all at the same time. Curving along the narrow road, we quickly took in the scenery. After a little bit of a drive, we arrived at the house. The house sits right on the edge of the canyon and has some of the most beautiful views of the valley. While we sipped champagne, we enjoy a little background noise of Justine Bieber’s movie per Cassie’s request. Haha.

Cab ride picture

Around 11 we headed off to the Hudson aka the best low-key bar in West Hollywood. Unfortunately the Hudson was busting at its seams, so we decided to venture into the Hollywood scene. Now Hollywood bars have a whole different atmosphere than my favorite dive bars. Skipping the line, we headed into Eden. The place was packed with loud music, pretty people and flowing drinks. We cheersed. We danced. We socialized. Until Cassie and I realized we hadn’t eaten dinner. Suddenly we couldn’t think of anything but food. We left the club in search for a burger place nearby. Upon exiting we ran into a guy who worked for TMZ. He told us about a place that has amazing burgers right up the street. To make sure we didn’t get lost, the kind TMZ worker escorted us to Juicy Burger. As many of you may know, I don’t eat red meat. I stopped about three years ago, and I have only had one burger since. All I can say is that Juicy Burger almost convinced me to start eating burgers again. It was the most flavorful burger ever. Maybe that was my starvation talking or the fact I hadn’t had a burger in years, but I would cave again for another Juicy Burger.

Needless to say the night was a success. Just shows you can make quick friends in Los Angeles and have an adventure on an ordinary night.

Brentwood Eateries

Since I live in one of the nicer neighborhoods in Los Angeles, it sometimes becomes difficult to dine at the restaurants close by. My unemployed salary can’t really cover the cost of a four-star meal. Thankfully there are a few hidden gems in Brentwood, along with ways to maneuver around the high price tag.

A popular hot spot for celebrities such as Reese Witherspoon, Jake Gyllenhaal and President Obama, Tavern sets on prime real estate along San Vicente. A dinner at Tavern could put a serious dent in your wallet but to enjoy the experience without the pain, try stopping in for breakfast or lunch. When my parents helped move me to LA back in August, they wanted to eat somewhere close. We set off down San Vicente in search for the perfect breakfast spot, and Tavern just happened to be the first place we encountered. Tavern features a limited menu for breakfast, but each item looked delicious. I selected the stuffed French toast with fresh berries. The toast was crunchy on the outside that went perfectly with the sweet cream cheese filling and drizzle of strawberry sauce. My parents both selected the soft scrambled eggs with fontina and crème fraiche. The next morning, we headed back to Tavern for round two. I selected the eggs this time. The fontina cheese gave the eggs a perfect creamy texture, and the side of fried potatoes added the element of salt and spice. While I haven’t made it there in awhile, I have been dying to try the lemon ricotta pancakes with huckleberry compote. 

Catty-corner to Tavern sits the Coral Tree Café. With a variety of salads and sandwiches, Coral Tree is a great spot for lunch. It uses all organic and fresh ingredients, which makes it worth the price you end up paying for a sandwich or salad. My first time at Coral Tree, I sampled the curry chicken sandwich. Curry seasoned chicken paired with golden raisins, red onions and carrots in between a fresh ciabatta roll. It has just the right amount of curry flavor without being overpowering. I was surprised by how well the raisins paired with the chicken. On another trip, I tried the Chinese chicken salad. Again there was a surprise ingredient that absolutely made the dish- pomegranate seeds. I am a big fan of Chinese chicken salad, but I had never had one containing pomegranate seeds. The light pomegranate vinaigrette reinforced the pomegranate flavor. One of my favorites on the menu is the rosemary chicken sandwich. Next to basil, rosemary is my second favorite fresh herb. The rosemary chicken is paired with pungent Brie cheese and fresh pear slices, which give the sandwich a extra crispness. Needless to say, I am a huge fan on Coral Tree Café, and it takes mounds of self-control to not eat here more often.

The best deal in Brentwood lies just north in the Brentwood Village. Right on the corner in a space that doesn’t even look like it could hold a restaurant is Saketini. After researching sushi restaurants in the area on Yelp, I wanted to give Saketini a try. We were greeted with an welcome surprise informing us that the entrees and rolls were all half-price! What? Ok so the rolls were already not that expensive, and now we only have to pay half of that. At most Los Angeles sushi bars, you are looking to spend at least $20 on dinner, but at Saketini I have only spent a little more than $10 for two rolls! While the roll choice isn’t extensive, the ones it offers are amazing. I settled on the spicy tuna roll and then nervously asked about the lobster roll. I had a bad experience with lobster when I was eight and have only eaten it twice since, and both times were in ravioli. The server told me the lobster roll is one of the restaurants most popular rolls, and if I didn’t like it he would bring me something else. When the rolls arrived, my lobster roll was served in a round bento box. I nervously picked up my chopsticks and plucked a roll from the box. The second it hit my tongue; I knew I had made the right decision. The base is a simple California roll, but the topping of lobster and mushrooms in a semi-sweet sauce was what made this roll. The spicy tuna roll was also delicious, but it had a hard time competing against the lobster roll. I have been back to Saketini more than a few times, and I always order the lobster roll.

If you live on the Westside, I hope I gave you some ideas for eating out! On another note, I signed up for a Yelp account and can’t wait to start writing reviews for all these restaurants!

One Year Graduation Anniversary

 A year ago today, I graduated from the University of Kansas. As my family gathered to celebrate my special day, so did the storm clouds. Graduates crossed their fingers and wished for clear skies. It seemed nothing could ruin graduation except rain. The university hadn’t canceled graduation in more than a decade, and I hoped the streak would continue. KU has a very special commencement ceremony. Graduates line up at the top of a hill with the football stadium at its base. Two lines merge under the historic bell tower and down the hill into the stadium. The bell tower, which is better known as the Campanile, is a World War II memorial. It is university superstition that if you walk under the tower during your undergraduate years, you will not graduate from KU. I am not normally a superstitious person, but I could never bring myself to walk under the Campanile. A staple to the campus, yet I had no idea what lied inside. It is this intrigue, which draws people to the tower. Only to fret if the curse is in fact real or not for their remainder at KU. I was going to be the first person since my mom to graduate from college, and I didn’t want anything else real or not to stop me from graduating. 

I awoke the morning of graduation after a restless nights sleep. I could think of nothing but rain and not being able to partake in KU’s most cherished tradition. To distract myself from constantly checking my phone for weather updates, I decided to make the cake for my graduation party. I had planned to make it the previous evening but instead went out with my family and friends to the Sandbar. I quickly whipped up Martha Stewart’s famous chocolate cake and popped it in the oven. I convinced myself it was time to get ready even though there had been no word on the status of the ceremony. My mom and aunt arrived just in time to see me in a most peculiar outfit. Not wanting to get chocolate frosting on my purple graduation dress, I had fastened my bath towel around me in a makeshift apron. I piped a large KU in the middle of the cake along with all the girls’ names for the combined graduation party. Of course, I ran out of frosting just in time for my name. While attempting to make the exact shade of blue I kept licking the frosting off my fingers, big mistake. My mom burst out laughing for no apparent reason until she instructed me to look in the mirror. Looking at my reflection just an hour before graduation, I had managed to stain my teeth, mouth and tongue bright blue. I was able to scrub my teeth and mouth back to normal, but there was no hope for my tongue. I barely had time to fret before the announcement was made that commencement would go on rain or shine. My roommate and I toasted with mimosas before we headed down to congregate behind the Campanile. Finding our friends was definitely easier said than done since there was approximately 10,000 people all using their phones at once. Thankfully we found some common ground, and it was time to pop the champagne. Passing around a bottle of Asti Spumante champagne, I had never been more excited in my life. The Campanile chimed signaling the start to our slow progression to the tower. Before we knew it the tower was in front of us, and it was our turn to finally pass under. After four years of mystery, it was worth the wait. Motivational words about fighting for our liberty surround the walls. A unique blue and red pattern with gold accents was adorn on the ceiling. We stopped to snap a few pictures but in an instant it was over. We emerged on the other side and began our descent down the hill and into the stadium. Stopping for more pictures and scanning the crowd for our families, we took our time getting down the hill.

Once in the stadium, I convinced my friends to link arms and skip down the professor-lined path. Evidently we got prime jumbotrone time, but none of us saw it. Taking our seats, we anxiously waited for the rest of the graduates to file in and for the ceremony to begin. Finally the speeches began focusing on what the “real world” had in store for us. Speech after speech passed until it was time for the chancellor to bestow our degrees upon us. First came the college of liberal arts and sciences (CLAS) that makes up the majority of the graduates, including myself; however, I was most excited for my journalism degree to be announced. While I chose to sit in the CLAS section, many of my friends sitting with me were fellow journalism graduates. As the chancellor instructed the journalism students to rise, cheers and applause erupted from various sections of students. With no bias at all, I believe we cheered the loudest of the specialty schools. I couldn’t believe it. It was official. I was in fact a college graduate, and not just any college graduate. I had somehow made it out in four years with two degrees. The ceremony wrapped up, and everyone went to meet their parents before the graduation parties began. As a walked to meet my family, all I could think about was the fact that I had did it. From the start of college, graduation always seemed like a far off concept. Something that was attainable but never felt real until it actually happened.

I remember that day as if it happened yesterday, and I hope the memory will continue to be as vivid in years to come. Everyone always said college would be the best years of my life and to savor each moment. While I do believe I had four amazing years, I am not one to think the best years of my life are in the past. 

Animal House

I’ve fallen in love, and it’s not with a man. Standing just shy of one foot, little Rufus who is a mix between a dachshund and a Jack Russell terrier has won my heart. While I wish I could claim him as my own, he is in fact my friend’s puppy. After about a week of begging to meet the puppy, I suggested my services as a dog walker. To my surprise, my friend actually took me up on it. Now I walk and play with Rufus two to three times a week. Our time together helps me resist begging my parents to send me my dog, Stella. My family has quite the array of dogs, which happens to be an interesting story.

I haven’t always been a dog person. When I was growing up I was literally obsessed with cats. I can’t really explain the obsession other than the fact my sister was allergic so I couldn’t have one. Owning a cat was just out of my reach, which made me want one even more. Then one Christmas morning, I awoke to mewing on my front door step. I rushed out of the house to find a bright, red box in front of me. I quickly removed the lid to find my first and to this day only kitten. I loved that cat to no end but when my family moved to Oklahoma, I was forced to give her to my older sister because of my other sister’s allergies. I was heartbroken. Leaving behind a pet doesn’t exactly make moving any easier.

When my family moved to Oklahoma, we owned one dog, Taylor, a yellow lab. Shortly after the move, we decided Taylor needed a friend. Our search ended with another yellow lab, Blondie. The two enjoyed three years of bliss until my family’s pet population exploded. As a tradition, each daughter receives a puppy for her 17^th birthday. In the scheme of things, this is a terrible age to get a puppy because in two years each of us was on our own with the puppy still at our parents’ home. For my middle sister’s birthday, she picked out a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and named her Maddie. A year and a half later, it was finally my turn to pick out a puppy! While I considered an array of medium-sized dogs, my choice had pretty much been made the day my sister brought Maddie home. Cavaliers are extremely well tempered and very loving. I brought Stella home two weeks after my birthday. The runt of the litter with light brown markings, I had known instantly she was the one I wanted. Stella and Maddie bonded immediately. To this day the duo hates to be separated, which is why Stella is not in California with me.

If you are keeping track, my family’s dog count is now up to four. Next came Piper, who was my sister’s replacement to Maddie after she realized her and Stella were a package deal. Piper thinks she is my sister's third child. She has no concept of the fact she is a French bulldog not a child. Then my oldest sister got Scout, who is a black lab closer in size to a small pony than a dog. Then Lucy, a hyperactive black lab who thinks she is a lap dog. Finally Banks rounds out my family’s dog collection. While Taylor died a couple of years ago, during family get togethers dogs still almost out number humans. Now I get my dog fix with Rufus instead of the pack of dogs at my house.

An Amazing Thing Called Happy Hour

In my last couple posts, I have been reviewing or more correctly simply describing my experience at restaurants around Los Angeles. Recently though I have been checking out the happy hour specials too. I had forgotten happy hours actually existed after attending a college where the town simply served cheap drinks all day long. While certain parts of the Los Angeles night scene aren’t exactly my scene, happy hour brings me back to Lawrence-esque experiences.

After a little mistiming, a group of us ended up at a happy hour at the Hudson in West Hollywood a little too dressed up. Since we didn’t want to reveal the real reason for being overly dressed up, we needed a story to justify our outfits. Lacking inspiration, we sought out the help of others and settled on the idea that we were just prepared for wherever the night would take us. Set back right off Santa Monica Boulevard, the Hudson was once a train station. Now the building has been decorated in a pre-prohibition style with bare bulbs and a giant tree growing through the building. Scanning the menu, I was more than excited to try some of the happy hour food not to mention the $3 wells. In Los Angeles, $7 for a single well is a steal. I was torn between the seared ahi with avocado and the smoked jalapeño mac & cheese. The waitress swayed all of our deciphering by explaining the mac & cheese is closer to an entrée portion than the tuna. Other food choices include fried chicken sliders, steamed mussels, short rib tacos and organic tomato capres. The mac & cheese came out with a perfect crunchy layer with creamy macaroni underneath. With just a hint of heat, the dish wasn’t too hot to make me down my drinks too quickly. If mixed drinks aren’t your style, draft beer and wine are also on special for only $3. I will be back for the food and for the ridiculously cheap drinks.

Last week while my friend was in town, we checked out El Carmen near the Grove. We had to drive by twice because we missed it the first time. Squeezed between two other restaurants, El Carmen has an unpretentious entrance. Inside the lights are low, the bar is to the right and a long row and two seater tables along the left. We happened to the first people there, but it definitely picked up as the night got later. The bar was serving up $4 margaritas and $3 tecates, but the highlight of the menu was the tequila selection. El Carmen is more of a tequila bar than a Mexican restaurant. We ordered a round of margs and split a shot of aged tequila. For only $4, you can have your choice of nachos or a variety of tacos, and you can add guacamole for only $2. We ordered the nachos and chicken tacos. Both were delicious, but evidentially the potato tacos are amazing. I can’t wait to go back to try the potato tacos and more interesting tequilas. While tequila and I aren’t always friends, their recommendations were smooth with only a hint of burn.  

In stark contrast to the first two places, my final happy hour experience was more on the high-end side. The Lobster is located right at the front of the Santa Monica Pier. Usual food and drinks can run on the pricey side, but happy hour is a good way to sample the food without shelling out all your money. For $6, you can choose from eight signature cocktails or wine. I settled on the cantaloupe martini that ironically didn’t have any cantaloupe in it. A mix of vodka, watermelon liquor, lime and a little orange juice, the drink tasted amazing and somehow just like a bite of cantaloupe. Next I sampled the “Famous Mojito” made with dark rum instead of the traditional light. Both drinks were refreshing and strong. All the food on the happy hour menu looked delicious, which made selecting just one difficult. From oysters to lobster corn dogs to sashimi pizza, each item was more interesting than the next. We selected the pork belly sliders. While I don’t normally eat pork, I have been dying to try pork belly since it is a favorite on Top Chef. These sliders made me consider eating pork again, perfectly moist and bursting with an almost smoky flavor. Served on a warm dinner roll with arugula and a tomato, I could have eaten the whole plate myself. The experience was also topped off with an appearance by Bob Saget.

Now that I have discovered Los Angeles is bursting with happy hour specials, I can’t wait to try more out!