M Cafe – West Hollywood, CA

What’s left when there’s no refined sugars, eggs, dairy, red meat or poultry? As bizarre as this probably sounds to most diners, there’s still a long list of other ingredients and intensely flavorful dishes to eat without these overused 5. I really think that we are so used to automatically reaching for these items without thinking about it and forget all the other great things to eat that are better and more delicious. Break the rut, open your eyes and expand your taste buds to a more interesting and diverse world of eating. The easiest and very motivating way to start is by heading over to M Cafe, the contemporary macrobiotic cuisine cafe with a global menu for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert and more. Their kitchen uses wholesome, ecological ingredients like heirloom-varietal whole grains, organically grown beans, fresh fish and locally-grown fruits and vegetables. [...]

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Market Restaurant at the Cooper Building – Downtown Los Angeles

There’s a new breakfast/lunch spot in Downtown L.A. where you can get the best molasses cookies around along with other fresh and hot items. Bret Thompson of MILK in Hollywood partnered up with Pablo Ramirez and opened up Market Restaurant at the Cooper Building in the Fashion District. The catering menu is impressive as well as a promising 30 minute delivery service. Other than their molasses cookies, some of my favorite dishes to try are the Feta-terranean Salad with romaine hearts, cucumber, tomatoes, feta cheese, black olives, pita chips, garbanzo beans and lemon vinaigrette, the Vanilla Bean Rice Pudding with fresh fruit and granola, and Turkey Burger with cheddar cheese, vine ripened tomato, green leaf lettuce, pickles and secret sauce. See below for more menu items.
Here is more info from Market Restaurant:
Chef/Partner Bret Thompson (co-founder of MILK in Hollywood) and Partner Pablo Ramirez opened Market Restaurant [...]

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The Sweets Truck – Los Angeles, CA

The Sweets Truck is almost a dream come true for me – candy, pastries and a cafe on wheels! Now I just have to figure out how to make them follow me.
This truck also has a sweet heart with a commitment to supporting the global and local community. So it’s not entirely self-indulgent to enjoy their daily baker specials and hand-picked seasonal treats. Check out some of their menu items below.

BROWNIES & BARS
FROM OUR BAKERS
Embrace Triple Chocolate Chunk Brownie • Peanut Butter Blitz Brownie
Toffee Almond Crunch Brownie • Chunky Walnut Brownie • Caramel Pecan Brownie
Double Chocolate Brownie • White Chocolate Chunk Brownie • Blondies
Cookie Casa Chocolate Fudge Cookie Bar • Cookie Casa Coconut Walnut Bar • Cookie Casa Pecan Shortbread Square
BEAUTY PAGEANT BROWNIES from Xtreme Desserts
Black Forest • Boston Cream Pie • Cappuccino Mocha • Chocolate Malted • German Chocolate
Mint Chocolate Chip • Pistachio Chocolate Chip • [...]

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Grocery Bag: Viktor Bene’s Bakery Halloween Cookies

Halloween is here! I love Halloween – candy, costumes, more candy, decorations, more sweets. There’s nothing not to love about it. I can’t help but smile whenever I see all the seasonal candy and treats everywhere. Everytime I go to the grocery store, I check out their seasonal pastry treats. I had to get the Viktor Benês Bakery Halloween cookies in ghost and pumpkin shapes. These are buttery flaky shortbread cookies with sugar fondant icing! My mouth waters everytime I take a bite. The cute colorful shapes make them feel like an extra special treat. I can’t get enough of these.

Click here to see more Grocery Bag items.
Let me know if you’ve tried this or have any recommendations.

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Restaurant Review: Alcove Cafe & Bakery – Los Feliz, CA

My 3pm brunch doesn’t have to be at home with Alcove Cafe & Bakery around. This place is the perfect spot for lingering over heart-warming meals in a garden setting that feels just like home. Their menu serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and a dizzying list of pastries throughout the entire day and night. I love this place!
Finally, I can have a seriously good brioche french toast with side of apple wood smoked bacon as late as I want. I had to order the fruit plate to add something healthy to my table. They also have an impressive coffee/smoothie bar and variety of other drinks to order. There is plenty of patio seats around the front and sides of this house converted cafe – with umbrellas for shade in this sunny spot on the block.

Apple Wood Smoked Bacon – cooked to order! Goes perfect [...]

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Grocery Bag: Country Choice Organic Ginger Snaps

I am continuing my search for ginger snap cookies ever since Trader Joe’s discontinued their organic ginger snaps. So far, I think I’ve found the closest match possible with Country Choice Organic Ginger Snaps. These have that sharp hot spicy ginger punch I love and are not too sweet or buttery so that the ginger is not overpowered. The ingredients are also a very close match without any hydrogenated oils:
Ingredients: Organic Unbleached Wheat Flour, Organic Sugar, Organic High Oleic Sunflower Oil and/or Safflower Oil, Organic Molasses, Organic Ginger, Sea Salt, Soy Lecithin, Organic Cinnamon, Baking Soda, Organic Whole Eggs.
They’re a little bigger, about twice the size of TJ’s but not too big and are just a flaky, crisy with alot of crunchiness. These are great crumbled or dunked into a bowl of vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt. Also just as great with a [...]

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Grocery Bag: Annie’s Organic Wheat Chocolate Bunnie Grahams

Hmmm, I think there’s a theme here, chocolate maybe? Even though it’s not Easter yet (it will be here sooner than you think by the way), bunnies are cute anytime of the year. Chocolate bunnies are my favorite kind of bunnies. So that’s the main reason why I had to try these out. Annie’s Organic Wheat Chocolate Bunnie Grahams totally satisfy my craving for a crispy chocolate cookie. They’re flaky like a butter cookie but with more of a cookie crunch and as light as a graham cracker. These are also super tiny and would be adorable as decorations on a cupcake or sprinkled on an ice cream scoop. The all natural and organic ingredients make these the healthiest chocolate cookie treat possible without compromising indulging flavor. I couldn’t tell that these were wheat cookies at all!

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Grocery Bag: Trader Joe’s Old World Recipe, Triple Ginger Cookie Thins

Recently, I received bad news that my favorite cookies were discontinued from Trader Joe’s. They finally responded to my questions about their missing Organic Ginger Snaps. Apparently, they had to pull it from stock because it was not popular enough for them to afford keeping it on the shelves. So now I’m looking for a substitute for my missing Organic Ginger Snaps. I can’t not have ginger snaps.
Here’s something I found at Trader Joe’s that has the similar powerful ginger flavor I like. These don’t have the same thick crunchiness as my favorites, but they’ve got a good thin crispiness with powerful spicy ginger in each bite. These would be perfect with ice cream or with alone with tea.

Click here to see more Grocery Bag items.
Let me know if you’ve tried this or have any recommendations.

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Restaurant Review: Huckleberry Bakery & Cafe – Santa Monica, CA

I found a new reason to love L.A. – the local artisan Huckleberry Bakery & Cafe. If this place was open 24/7, I’d definitely have to live here forever. This is the home of the Kouing Amann (top pic) – a heavenly cinnamon sugar twist on the butter croissant, my absolute favorite – along with the salted caramel bar!
Everything served here is made fresh on site. Their menu makes it obvious that they use only the best quality ingredients – organic flour, Vahlrona chocolate and seasonal produce from the farmer’s market. The place is an adorable homey but modern cafe with large sunny window doors that open to the sidewalk tables while letting in streams of sunlight. It’s hard to resist leaving this place without a box of several treats. Their menu of sweets covers a wide range of cravings and childhood favorites. [...]

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Restaurant Preview: Eating Guide to Comic-Con International 2009 – San Diego

This week begins possibly the biggest annual event of the summer, Comic-Con International 2009. I will be joining the insane crowds of comic, sci-fi, film and tv fans from around the world, all in the little town of San Diego. Yes, I will be totally geeking it up, full-throttle style this week.
Since I’m a total newbie to Comic-Con, I’ve been doing some research in preparation for my visit by creating a list of places for good nearby eating potential in any situation – bagging it, take-out, fine dining, delivery, drive-by etc. What other kind of list did you expect from me? This is really important! This event is known for crazy massive crowds, amazing programs and showcases, but definitely not good food. I’m not sure what to expect or where I’ll be going, but at least I’m armed with my handy list [...]

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