in it to WIN IT: food, fun and freebies from NORMS Restaurants

If you live in LA...and you leave your house...ever...you have driven by a NORMS Restaurant. The big, block, all-caps lettering is iconic. As is the food inside.

Here are just a few reasons to love NORMS...

1. They serve breakfast all day. Any place that will serve me an omelet when I'm drunk at 3 in the morning is good in my book.

2. They are 'Open 24 hours a day-Every day of the year!' I have called to verify and yes, that does include St. Patty's Day, Rosh Hashana, and Secretary's Day. This is astonishing dedication to service.

3. Cool, musical hip people like NORMS. And because I am a sucker for trendy things, if Friendly Fires likes NORMS, then so do I.

4. The Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. Another restaurant might try to come up with some new-fangled version of this classic dish for its menu. NORMS keeps it real. We all like the Kraft version. Why mess with success.

5. NORMS is giving away free grub to 1 very lucky reader of this here blog. And we all love free grub. Because we're hungry and not yet very rich.

Entry form must be submitted by Monday, December 14th at 12 pm PST. One winner will be chosen at random and notified on Tuesday, December, 15th.

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Become a NORMS fan on Facebook.

Seattle - Day 2: Space Needle's a bust + views from Queen Anne + Capitol Hill rainshowers

There was no rain on Day One in Seattle. Apparently Day One was a fluke. A bad, bad, misleading fluke.

From the moment I awoke this morning, Seattle was dark and rainy. I would persevere--the solo traveler--despite this, but with slightly more reservation than the day before.

Here are the highlights from my adventures on Day Two...

I headed down to the complimentary breakfast at the Ace to grab some light grub before heading out. The Ace Hotel NYC serves croissants for breakfast. The Ace Hotel Seattle has a make-your-own waffle station. We have a clear winner.

LA and Seattle sensibilities collided as I braved the morning rain for a yoga class at the Seattle Athletic Club.

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A friend told me that I had to stop by a Macrina Bakery while in town. I believe the claim was that you could smell butter out the door. I stopped by Macrina this am, asked the counter girl what the best breakfast item on the menu was, and she suggested the cinnamon bun. The bun happens to be called a 'Roly-Poly.' Um, I'll pass. I went with her second favorite, the Budapest Coffee Cake, instead.

I headed toward the Space Needle, the giant building erected in 1962 for the World's Fair. It's known for its height and its 360 views of the city. I drank the Needle Kool Aid. I paid $16.50 for a ticket up and got 10 minutes worth of hoards of other tourists--most of them unattractive families wearing drab colors and toting around drab children.

This picture is of the view to the West and my favorite.

Next up was Queen Anne, a quaint, mostly residential neighborhood where everything is old school and adorable.

Including the interior of Dick's. I had been advised to get a cheeseburger here. Instead I took this picture.

 

I came across Athina Grill for lunch when I didn't think my bladder would last another block in the rain. While I wasn't hopeful for good Greek food in Seattle, the gentleman at the front was Greek so I figured it couldn't be that bad. It was actually bad-ass. My Greek Salad with falafel and hummus was totally killer.

The restaurant owner's daughter, as it turns out, used to live in LA. He whipped out the business card of a breakfast joint I've got to try in Manhattan Beach, The Local Yolk. What are the chances that a Greek immigrant to Seattle would know better restaurants on LA's beaches than me? God, I love strangers.

The reason folks trek to Queen Anne and then trek even further to its peak is for the view from Kerry Park. I hustled up the steep hills to the top, passing by beautiful 19th century residences on the way.

The flagship Nordstrom store is here in the shopping district of Downtown Seattle. Let me save you the time if you're visiting the city. Nordstrom does not need to go on your itinerary.

I did, however, stop by Sway and Cake--the only small boutique in the shopping district. When I told the clerk I was visiting from LA, the clerk told me that the store was like, totally like LA. Um, yeah. Okay. I did manage to buy some cute items which, yeah, I totally could have scored in LA. Like this House of Harlow ring which I [am sort embarrassed to wear as its Nicole Richie's line, but] sort of adore.

Next up--off to Capitol Hill, a neighborhood know for its eclectic style, its bar scene, and its gays.

Stumptown Coffee is all over Capitol Hill. From its 'I'm too angry and cool-for-school to heed your order' baristas to its free trade mumbo jumbo, it reminded me of a cross between Itelligentsia and Groundwork.

After walking by loads of semi-chi chi restaurants that my wet and ruined bangs were embarrassed to enter into, I settled on Chao Bistro. The food was okay--nothing I couldn't get better of in some other city. But the bartender--bless his heart--introduced me to apple sake. And sake will never be the same.

I didn't make it to a bar tonight and I'd be disappointed in myself if I didn't feel like I was going to keel over.

Here's to a fun and active last full day in Seattle starting tomorrow morning. And hopefully the energy [and courage] to venture into Seattle's nightlife in the evening.

Passing out now,
Jessie B. R.

P.S. - For more pics from Day Two, visit my Picasa album where you'll find shots of naughty stores, the 'other' Melrose Ave and more fun neighborhood adventures.

Food Find: Du-par's. Hotcakes at all hours.

I suppose that I've been hearing about Du-par's in some form or another since I moved to Los Angeles 4 years ago.

• I have a vague recollection of passing by hordes of pie purchasers outside the diner-esque restaurant at the corner of Fairfax and 3rd last holiday season.
• I am pretty sure there's a story of a certain friend of mine having a particularly good date that began at Dupar's.
• And then, most recently, I am certain I heard my very trusted culinary radio host, Evan Kleiman (of KCRW's Good Food), interviewing someone at Du-par's about its history and its participation in the Farmers Market's recent 75th Anniversary celebration.

I now believe this person I heard describing the supposed 'best pancakes in Los Angeles' to have been either a very savvy publicist. Or a liar. I have a distinct memory of this woman pining over pancakes that she was just sure must have been cooked with loads of butter.

Well, I went to Du-par's last night and NOTE: serving a bowl of melted butter aside the stack of pancakes does not qualify as cooking with butter. And this is not to be mistaken with a dislike of butter on my part. I love butter. I am actually all too happy to pour it over all my food. I just don't know if I feel comfortable doing it in public.

Also [and possibly most importantly], Du-par's, which fancies itself a 'coffee shop' (a term most Angelenos are not aquainted with) did not have a vanilla milkshake in stock. It had strawberry, sure. But strawberry doesn't say coffee shop. It screams highfalutin. And I am forced to question the authenticity of any coffee shop that doesn't have plain vanilla.

[Image credits: Du-par's]

Steals & Deals: The Hollywood Corner (cause cheap is chic)

The Hollywood Corner, the restaurant formerly known as Doughboys, which was formerly known for its location on 3rd Street, is one of my favorites for weekend brunch. They have soyrizo and other awesome faux meat products on the menu which is reason enough to go. Then they've also still got the killer Red Velvet cake that put Doughboys on the map (thank you Oprah!). But best yet, they're always making nice with their customers and their customers' wallets.

They've got the loyalty program which gives you back a $5 credit for every 100 you spend (which basically means, 'hey--you risk obesity and high blood pressure with the amount of food you inhale every time you come here--which is often--so we feel we owe you a few bucks in return).

And then they've also got great deals once in a while like this month's coupon for 25% off everything on the entire menu. Yes, it's only valid between 7 - 11 am. But don't you think you could stand to wake up at a decent hour for once anyway?

Here are a few of my fave vegetarian dishes off the menu...

>> The Corner Breakfast Burrito
>> Quinoa Cakes Benedict
>> Mediterranean Veggie Omelet
>> Roasted Tomato Fennel Soup
>> Veggie Burger

So get yourself up early next weekend and go get a buck off your breakfast. And save room for dessert...

The Hollywood Corner
1156 N. Highland
Hollywood, CA 90038

[Image credits: The Corner]

Food Find: Toast [+ Eggs + Lunch + Crowds]

For four years, I have driven past Toast Bakery & Café on 3rd Street and I have observed lines down the block, waits that seem to go on for over an hour, and, quite frankly, food that looks about the same as any other breakfast spot in town (oh, and crowds about as average looking as any other spot as well).

Having the day off today and waking up by 9 am, I decided to find out what all the fuss is about.

9:24 am – I drove by in search of a spot and the outside seating still looked pretty open. Score.

9:28 am – After parking, I returned to find—you guessed it—NO tables left outside and a small crowd already starting to form around the hostess stand.

9:30 am – Get sat at a high top inside. A) I hate high tops—I always feel like I’m going to fall off my stool. B) Though I can’t tell where the odor is coming from, it smells distinctly like dirty dish water at my table. I guess this is where solo customers get sat. Come alone—leave wanting to vomit.

Though my food was fine--I ordered 'The Garden,' an asparagus, broccoli, shallots, veggie sausage and mozzarella scramble--it wasn't spectacular. And my diet coke could surely have come from any fountain around town. Where was the Toast touch? The magic that had people lining up here every weekend as if gold nuggets were being served with their $10 omelets?

Sure, I noticed that cappuccinos were being served with cookies. That’s a nice touch, ok. But I don’t drink cappuccinos, so, unless my Diet Coke is served with a dollar from the pop fairy, color me uninterested.

I ate quickly. I had come with the intention of eating at a leisurely pace. Sitting with my book for a few minutes after my meal just to savor the fact that I had a table and the folks in line outside did not. But the smell emanating from what I now discerned was probably the coffee maker-slash -bar in front of me was becoming unbearable.

10 am - I left--and not a moment for my nostrils too soon--passing a throng of people on the way out--all waiting to be sat at the infamous, underwhelming Toast.

Do you love Toast? Did I order the wrong thing on the menu? Please let me know! I'd hate to think that this many people in LA keep returning for mediocrity and a mere scene.

[Image Credit - Exterior shot c/o Toast; Food and bar shots c/o Yours Truly]

Food find: Auntie Em's Kitchen.

You may remember my Thanksgiving meal from last week (oh come now--I know you're an avid reader of the blog). We'd catered it from Auntie Em's Kitchen, the quaint little eatery in Eagle Rock. If you never venture further than 3rd Street for breakfast, let me fill you in--there are indeed eggs available way over by Glendale--it's true.

So, we drive for what seems like a good eternity through snow, sleet, and rain...oh, shit...wrong story...so we travel for like 25 minutes, past the area I so fondly refer to as 'Little Mexico,' past Silverlake (another area some of you may fancy for it's overwhelming 3 breakfast spots) , and into Eagle Rock. The Rock (if I lived here this is surely what I would call this neighborhood) is still relatively undeveloped compared to its neighboring hipster meccas, save the All Star Lanes, where I believe that you might really be able to contract diptheria through a drink at the bar, and the new Fresh & Easy, which is clearly too fresh, easy and or clean for the residents of The Rock--many of whom look as though they'd rather shop at the modern day, rockabilly cum lumberjack's country mart--for the lot was near empty.

Anyway, we did finally arrive to the restaurant famous for their red velvet cupcakes and bakery case filled with oozing deliciousness.

The food: My breakfast special, the 'Almost-Tuscan Scramble,' was almost-bland as boiled potatoes, but was saved by the side of what I think may have been electrifyingly [and perhaps scarily] green pesto. Be warned, the bottle, so handily labeled 'ketchup' on our table had a kick (maybe chipotle?). Something they may have thought to mention if they were going to go so far as to label their condiments. Ketchup is ketchup damnit. And I would have liked some for my g d eggs.

Also of note, the coffee is 'self-serve'--a situation that could be fairly annoying if your table was far enough away and you are a big-enough coffee drinker.

The service: Once we were finally able to grab a server's attention, the food came out super-quickly. Our waitress was nice enough, though she seemed to hide a special brand of 'specialness' behind her platinum bob and dark, thick-rimmed glasses. The 'specialness' of the staff may account for the customers having to get their own coffee.

The verdict: All in all, I'd give this joint a big So-So and a definite I'd Go Back There Again.*

* Scale of ratings may, and will, change at the blogger's discretion and the relation of Earth to Mars.

Photo Credit: Auntie Em's (Note: the actual food did not look quite as pretty as this pic from their website)