simplethings. Sandwiches that are anything but simple.

The other day a friend told me about a new cafe on West 3rd Street. This cafe supposedly served a sandwich that offered a Thanksgiving meal between 2 slices of bread. While turkey and gravy is not on my list of vegetarian 'acceptable' items, the ingenuity of the meal did not escape me.

Yesterday I had the good fortune to visit this sandwich innovator, simplethings sandwich and pie shop,  myself. The new restaurant recently took over one of West 3rd's shuttered storefronts. The restaurant that was there previously was not very good and its name is unimportant now (also, I cannot remember it). What is important is ohmygoodness how amazing the new lunch spot on one of my fave LA streets is. While I'm usually not one for sandwiches, there was no way I could not try the Sweet Potato--a revolutionary new meal that pairs carb (grilled sweet potato) with more carb (pretzel roll, mmmmmmm), throws in some sweet thangs like apples and onions and avocado, and creates the most sensational burst of flavor in my mouth. Ever (or in a very long time).

Next time I head over to simplethings I'll be munching on the Vegan Po Boy. Partially cause I love tofu. But mostly cause I like saying 'po'--it makes me feel sassy. And I'll also be eating pie. Cause it's a pie shop after all. And when in Rome...

simplethings sandwich and pie shop
8310 W 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA

[Image via simplethings.]

S'muffins. Your memory haunts me. (& more from LA Art Show's Saturday soiree.)

Last night, my partner in crime D and I headed downtown to check out the LA Art Show's party with the Cooper Design Space. First of all, I should clarify that the 'crime' we partnered in was nothing more than a VeeV cocktail, a little dessert and a return to Hollywood before 11 pm. Second of all, I need to introduce you to a culinary discovery I only myself made last night.

New [to LA] mozzarella bar Obika was catering the event. And while I was hardly interested in cheese after earlier overindulgence, I was interested--very interested--in these:

D, who is far better informed than I on the subject of trendy desserts, let me know that these puppies are known as s'muffins. See, I just would have called them Mounds Of Heaven That Fit In My Hand. But s'muffins is indeed a much catchier name. They're a cross, if you haven't sorted it out for yourself already, between a s'more and a muffin. The bottom layer is graham cracker cake. The middle-a bit of chocolate goo. And the top-a perfectly toasted marshmallow. It's bakery Gotta Have S'more that actually introduced the confection to the market I believe. And while Obika's version was alright, it's really the concept that gets me. It's--in a word--Genius. In two words--highly desirable.

Clearly it's moved me enough to pen this lengthy blog post. One that you might have suspected would actually have been about art, rather than marshmallows.

So, lest I ignore the real focus of last night's celebration of the arts, let me briefly introduce you to the Steben Twins who performed, most impressively, at the party. These ladies (twin ladies. obviously.) did things on rope and with each other (no, not sexual things. they're twins for godsake.) that I will never even dream of achieving in my lifetime. Not, I might add, that I have any particular desire to achieve such things with rope.

I would imagine that the Steben Twins do not indulge in s'muffins.

To see the twins' incredible, acrobatic feats, you can catch them in this old Cirque footage.

I just wanna love you Z Pizza.

I just think we need to take a moment to give props where props are due. And Z Pizza deserves our props.

Reasons why we should all love Z Pizza:

* Pizza toppings, sauces and accouterments on the menu include truffle oil, thai peanut sauce, veggie burger, and yams (yes, yams!).

* Options for dietary freaks like me include vegan cheese and a gluten free crust.

* You can order your food ahead online. Like, hours ahead. Days ahead even! Like, I could order a pizza now for tomorrow morning if I wanted to eat pizza for breakfast tomorrow morning. Which I don't. But, ya know, I might some day.

* There's a location on Larchmont, which is just my favoritest street in all of Los Angeles.

Z Pizza
123 North Larchmont
Los Angeles CA, 90004

Sexy coffee & frog legs at Robert's Russian Cuisine.

Robert's Russian Cuisine, located in a small strip mall on La Brea in Hollywood, isn't the type of place you'd necessarily drive by and say 'hm, I'd like to eat there.' It's more the kind of place you drive by and think 'hm, I believe many blond Russian girls are probably fed much vodka there before returning to either the nightclub or the spy movie from whence they came.' It turns out, as I did go in last night, that the latter is not entirely untrue. The brightly lit restaurant was full at midnight with tables of Russian men and their very blond women, consuming shot for shot from bottles of the good stuff. Stuff, I should mention, that was not on the menu alongside the $4 glasses of wine. I guess it's BYOV. But it turns out that they do serve food there too. And the menu's quite extensive.

The food: From Tongue to Frog Legs to Beef Stroganoff, the menu reads like a laundry list of everything I've never tried in my life. With the exception of hummus. And who knew the Russians and the Israelis shared such incredibly good taste.

The service: I can't say enough wonderful things about our gray-haired Russian waiter who wore many large rhinestoned rings, had only half a thumb on one hand, and spoke nearly no English at all. But did know enough to explain that the Armenian coffee we ordered after dinner was 'sexy coffee.' 'Why sexy,' we asked. 'Because it keeps you up all night. All you can do is have sex.' Well, naturally. I will say this for the shots of coffee we consumed--they were goopy, and almost impossible to swallow, and in every way spectacular.

The verdict: Don't go to Robert's for the food or the atmosphere. Do consider, however, going to chat with the waiters. They are highly entertaining even if their capacity for conversation does not exceed sex or coffee.

One weekend in Hollywood (in pictures).

I generally try to stay away from Hollywood. Day. Night. No matter. My interest in the area is about as strong as my interest in eating fire. But this weekend, I managed to spend the better part of my days in the neighborhood known for its cheesy nightclubs and poorly decorated hookers.

I made a pit stop at the closing day of Poketo's Los Angeles, I'm Yours exhibit at Space 15 Twenty. The ping-pong tournament outside seemed to be in only partial swing, but the exhibit of found objects made pretty by some of LA's most awesome artists was impressive.

Perhaps stopping into Refinery 29's East West Tag Sale at the same venue was a mistake. And by mistake, I mean huge detriment to my wallet.

My pal needed to find wigs for an event so we made our way to the Boulevard. Spotted amongst the awful wigs and trashy lingerie: one Asian hooker being fitted for a wig by her middle-aged white customer. Also spotted, her bare crotch as her slinky pink dress slid up. Lastly spotted, me running nauseous out of the store.

Finally tried out George Abou-Daoud's Mercantile. It's market meets cafe on Sunset Blvd. And though the daytime menu is meager, we were able to indulge in an amazing cheese plate and wine.

Killing time during a car wash off Vine.

I've discovered the bottomless breakfast cocktails at Ivan Kane's Cafe Was. And, oh boy. I may never drink a Sunday morning away anywhere else again.

I have the feeling that Amoeba's windows haven't been restyled since the 90s. The early, early 90s.

And that's all one girl can take in Hollywood, folks.

Cheap eats, great views, & spicy guacamole at the Yamashiro Garden Market.

Hidden right above the tourist-riddled streets of Hollywood is the Magic Castle. And hidden right behind that is Yamashiro Restaurant. (You should note that hidden just a bit further up the hill is free street parking.) And on Thursday evenings (at least for the summer), the sprawling Japanese Restaurant and gardens are home to an outdoor farmer's market which is spectacular--not for its produce offerings--it hosts less than some of its counterparts--but for its atmosphere and the sweeping views of the city. Not many other of LA's farmers markets can boast a hilltop perspective of miles and miles and miles of cityscape. Nor, lovely Japanese exteriors. Nor a wine bar (nice!). Nor a Japanese style taco booth, courtesy of a Yamashiro's chef where guests can enjoy $6 tacos (he hooked me up with a pretty nice vegetarian alternative) and wasabi-laced gaucamole.

Enjoy one night this summer. I highly recommend the experience. If I were the type that gave experiences stars, I'd give this one 3.7 gold ones (4 if I'd had a blanket to shield me from the wind up there).

See you at the Yamashiro Garden Market on a Thursday soon, I hope...

Food Find: Baby Monster Kookies

If you are not into things that taste awesome, then this post is probably not for you. Or perhaps you're on one of those crazy lemon, cayenne pepper and masochism diets. Okay, you too should probably not bother reading this.

My good friend and associate just launched a cookie company that rivals Mrs. Fields and squashes Entenmann's chocolate chips. Baby Monster Kookies are decadent. They've got a chocolate to cookie ratio that's practically sinful. They create good karma (a percentage of profits go to St. Jude's Children Hospital). And, despite the bad rap that monsters have gotten, these cookies are sweet.

I tried one for the first time last week and have already ordered a box (the first of many, I'm sure) for my office. And now I will stop bragging about my talented friend and keep a watchful eye on the door for any sign of the delivery man with my cookies.

Visit Baby Monster Kookies to find out more or place an order.

Food Find: healthy eats at Sante La Brea.

Though one wouldn't normally associate the famed Gordon Ramsay with a casual, mostly vegetarian restaurant whose menus are plastic coated and complete with low-budg computer graphics, apparently the gourmand helped Sante La Brea revise their offerings a year + ago. Whatever he did, and whatever the restaurant was like before, the end results are good by me. But then again, the option add fake chicken to my meal is usually a sure fire way to win me over. I visited this past weekend and was all about the diverse menu, friendly service and scary green soup.

Sante La Brea
345 North La Brea Ave.
Los Angeles, CA

Food Find: Ketel One Canteen says thanks, happy hannukah and bon appetit.

Sometimes vodka gives you a massive f+cking hangover. Sometimes (the better times) it gives you potato pancakes and awesome free grub. This weekend, catch Ketel One's ultimate guerrilla marketing ploy, the Ketel One Canteen, in Hollywood. The food truck (of course it's a truck--who bothers with stationary anymore?) will be doling out FREE food prepped by Ilan Hall of Gorbals Restaurant and Top Chef fame. And Hannukah-themed fare no less. Because us Jews--we like vodka. And you gentiles--you like Jewish food. It's win-win, really.

 

Though the truck won't actually be serving alcohol, it will be accompanied by a fleet of cars to drive you home if you've had one too many libations somewhere else along the Cahuenga Corridor.

Ketel One Canteen
@ Cahuenga between Hollywood and Selma
Thursday - Sat: 12 a - 2 a

[via Thrillist]

Food Find: Nickel Diner serves up diner fare with flare.

Nickel Diner is located on Main Street in Downtown Los Angeles. And how appropriate that a diner that makes old [fashioned] new again should be housed in a neighborhood that's rapidly transitioning from dingy and dirty to hip and reborn.

The waitstaff is tatted. The menu showcases tofu alongside diner standards like grilled cheese and the Nickel Burger. And the dessert tray is rich and sugary and high in calories, but hosts a vegan tapioca. It is truly a diner for a new generation--a hungry one that likes its organic quinoa and its fried onion rings in equal parts.

P.S. To the bottom left of the dessert tray you'll notice what our waitress called a 'Cher Cupcake.' She couldn't tell us why it's called that--that we'd have to try it to find out. We, instead, ordered the Salt Peanut Cake [with potato chips]. So, I beseech you to go in, order the cupcake, eat it, and report back.

P.P.S. House specialties include the Smac & Cheese and the Maple Glazed Bacon Donut. Though I don't eat bacon, both looked pretty, pretty, pretty good.

Food Find: Big Man Bakes [cupcakes].

Call me a hormone-crazed female blogger, but it's clearly a dessert kind of day over here in overcast Los Angeles. Though I had Aussie treats on the mind this morning, my focus has shifted to sweets that are a little closer to home. Just down the street in fact. Just a few blocks away from my Downtown office has recently opened Big Man Bakes, a cupcake eatery which I'm confident will rival the bigger boutique cupcake chainlets which have sprouted over the last year or 2 (ala Crumbs). The bakery's proprietor, William 'Chip' Brown, is indeed a big man. But for those of us who are trying to stay a bit...well...not so big, he kindly makes a smaller version of his sugary goodness. And he'll sell you 6 of 'em for just $5.

Those of you who are observant and/or quick with math will notice that the picture above shows only 5 cupcakes. Well, there may or may not be even less remaining in the box now. Don't judge.

Big Man Bakes
413 S Main Street
Los Angeles, CA 90013

Food Find: Shojin offers organic + vegan...sushi?!

Thanks to good pal Renee, I discovered Shojin Restaurant this afternoon. It's organic and natural. It's vegan. It's...Japanese?!

A totally strange concept, but a delicious one.

Amongst the many things I'd thought might belong in sushi, I had never considered barbeque seitan. But I'm into it.

The prices are reasonable. The food is fresh. And it's housed on the 3rd floor of a rad Little Tokyo shopping center. Which means you can get fed and get a tour through Japanese shopping culture.

And if you're not booked for Thanksgiving, neither are they. Make a reservation now for your vegan faux-Turkey Day meal.

Shojin
333 S. Alameda Street
Los Angeles, CA 90013

Food Find: AOC and its rhyming deal nights.

AOC is new to no one in LA [but me]. Well, foodies and friends, I've finally eaten there. On Wednesday night I dined in the much-raved-about West 3rd Street wine bar and tapas restaurant with friends, old and new--Alberta Ferretti's PR maven, WWD's bestest retail editor, a fabulous LA newbie, and a bonafide Navy Seal--we were like a motley Veteran's Day crew of veteran fashionistas and, well, real veterans.

The service: Awesome. Our waiter helped us to select 12 tapas, meaty and veggie, as we were all a bit too fatigued to comb through the extensive menu of small plates ourselves.

The food: Good. I don't want to say fabulous. There were mushrooms in at least one of the veggie dishes after all (I loathe mushrooms nearly as much as I loathe poverty in Africa). But it was definitely on the good to great scale.

The verdict: Pricey, but tasty. I'd return. In fact, I'd be very interested to return for the restaurant's 'Flights & Bites on Monday Nights' evening of $12 flights and $8 bites. Not just because I like marketing taglines that rhyme. But also because my wallet may not be able to handle a return to AOC under any other circumstance.

AOC
8022 West 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90048

Food Find: Islands (just like the tropics...except dingy and full of red meat)

In my 4-plus years in LA, I'd never been to Islands, the ubiquitous chain restaurant that seems to be on every commercial corner of LA County. And I was curious. Well, I was as curious as a vegetarian could be about what is essentially a spruced up burger joint. And then yesterday--stuck at an event set-up at the Westside Pavilion, where the food choices range from grody Panda Express to pricey Westside Tavern with nothing in between--I took a walk and gave in to Islands.

Here is what I noticed...

The food--it's not very good. At least not for a vegetarian on a diet.

The options--they do offer smaller, more affordable portions of menu items. Like unlimited chips and salsa for under two bucks. And single portion desserts. That's cool. I respect you, Islands, for that.

The information overload--With the menus on your table, Islands offers a Nutritional Data sheet for your review. Eating alone, I had the time to read through this. The Chocolate Lava dessert has 1440 calories. Which is almost as bad as the Kilauea Burger which comes in at a whopping 1600 calories. Well, thank you Islands for offering me great sounding menu items and then telling me they're pretty much going to kill me. Super appetizing.

The B.S. name--Islands is perhaps the most misleading restaurant name I've ever been bamboozled by. There were no cool breezes. There were no attractive shirtless men in leis. And I'm positive--well, nearly positive--that burgers are not the staple diet on any island I've ever heard of. At no point during my meal did I think, 'hey, I could totally be in Maui right now.' I was completely and totally aware for the entirety of my bad salad that I was in a mediocre burger restaurant. In West LA. And for that, I blame Islands.

Food Find: Yogurtland (with a splash of Japanese design culture)

For those of you who aren't yet familiar with Yogurtland, it's like a Pinkberry 2.0 for Americans who prefer a shot of sugar with their tart frozen yogurt. Amongst the celebrated Angelenos who heart the fro yo chain include Lauren Conrad, Lindsay Lohan, and now, well, me. I didn't get it before. You make your own dessert. You put on your own toppings. Great. There's a frozen yogurt machine in the cafeteria. I can deal without Yogurtland...I thought.

Turns out that Yogurtland takes making your own dessert to new levels of awesome with yogurt flavors like Peanut Butter, Pumpkin Pie, NY Cheesecake, and Double Cookies & Cream. Toppings range from the healthy (I opted for fruit on today's adventure) to the decadent (cookie dough, Heath bar, and the list goes on).

 

And as an added bonus, tokidoki, the colorful Japanese design house [brought to the US via an Italian] is in stores right now to brighten up the already cheery yogurt experience. Cause everyone likes colorfully creepy bears, cats and kids with their non-fat frozen yogurt.

The busiest location I've passed by is on La Brea. For a quicker, quieter Yogurtland experience, try the Downtown spot.

Yogurtland - Little Tokyo
1670 South Central Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Food Find: Coolhaus, my favorite new food truck.

With all the brick and mortar places to get grub in LA, the allure of chasing down a truck to get a snack has dumbfounded me since the fad began.

Well, I'm a changed woman now. Last night Coolhaus made an appearance at the event I was working. And I'm in serious like with the mobile store. Coolhaus' specialty? Customizable ice cream sandwiches!

Cookie choices included chocolate, sugar, and chocolate chip. And ice cream flavors ranged from the simpler (just don't say plain) to the whimsical (Earl Gray) to the awesome (Blue Honey &Pine Nut) to the intoxicating (White Russian).

The truck itself--a boxy, little vehicle, somewhere between a Smart Car and a Taco Truck--is the creation of two young architects and is as cool as the desserts inside.

You can, of course, follow the truck's journeys [and try your own ice cream creation] on Twitter.

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]

Food Find: Judaken adds restaurateur to his resume with East

David Judaken is known for his longstanding impact on LA nightlife. He is perhaps most famous for opening Garden of Eden, the club whose impressive lifespan made Cats' stay on Broadway seem like a brief blip in time. Last year he opened MyHouse to great fanfare and made headlines again. But amongst things that Judaken had not become known for was food. It's not that his multiple nightclubs don't serve food. They do. But when you're at the club at 1 in the am, food serves only one purpose--and that's to sober up. Well, that changed last week when Judaken opened EAST Restaurant and Lounge to the fine-dining public of Hollywood. And last night I stopped by to test the culinary waters.

The menu earns its gold star for its sashimi selection, listed under the aptly named section 'I like it raw' (cue ODB's Shimmy Shimmy Ya song here along with an entire dirty conversation between dinner guests). Granted, I couldn't try these raw bites, but one of my dining mates (MyHouse regular DJ Jasepi) had the honor of tasting for the rest of us vegetarians. And speaking of us vegetarians--we didn't go hungry either. The Drunken Tofu (this is no joke. the tofu is literally soaked in sake and beer--you'd be drunk too) is fantastic. Crisp on the outside, soft in the middle, with a layer of cabbage and mushroom on top. As Judaken, who stopped by the table to say hello, says--this tofu could convert a carnivore. As I couldn't taste much of the menu, I asked Judaken what his personal favorite items on the menu are--the meaty ones I won't have the pleasure of trying myself--and he called out the tuna, the monkfish, and the chicken as his top choices.

We ended our meal with a dessert all eating styles can appreciate (well, except for those pesky vegans)--the bread pudding. Served with vanilla ice cream, green tea anglaise, and a mini croissant on top, it may be the menu item I return again [and again] for.

And I can't forget to mention the specialty cocktail menu. Three drinks incorporate serrano chiles. At least two are made with tea. And one is called East of Eden, which I adore for its fabulous puntasticness. Judaken's wife who had a large hand in crafting the drink menu, explained the name's duplicity--East Restaurant is just East of the now shuttered Garden of Eden (tear). And its more romantic meaning--the drink is pretty darn close to heaven. And it really, really is.

EAST Restaurant and Lounge
6611 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028

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]