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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Piccolo Ristorante – Venice, CA

I had one of the most delicious romantic dinners the other night at Piccolo Ristorante in Venice Beach. This cozy little Italian haven is in an unassuming spot right off the beach, tucked into the neighborhood. The place was busy before it was even open. The proprietor, Vittorio Viotti, made sure we had a perfectly comfy corner table in one of their dining room wings. Everything from the room, seating and considerate attention to the bread basket, Branzino Marinato (top pic) and Doppio Raviolo di Pesce Halibut (pic below), was as blissful as you would ever want a dinner to be. This is definitely a new favorite restaurant for me. Check out some of their menu items below.

(Doppio Raviolo di Pesce – Spigola, Halibut, and Eggplant with Mascarpone and Caviar)
Chef Bobo’s seasonal menu:
ANTIPASTI CALDI
Quaglia Arrosto – pan-roasted quail, stuffed with foie grás, Marsala reduction [...]

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Buttermilk Food Truck – Los Angeles, CA

Calling all fellow breakfast food lovers, those of you that consider french toast anytime of the day or night. Thanks to Gigi Pasqual and Buttermilk Boy Klippy, Buttermilk Truck brings us our favorite breakfast dishes all day and late night long. Some of my favorite items off their menu include Hawaiian Bread Cinnamon French Toast Sticks served with butter and syrup, Southwest Veggie Omelet with cornbread, Buttermilk Biscuit Breakfast Sandwiches with applewood smoked bacon and rosemary hash browns, Fried Chicken with Housemade Cinnamon Waffles. See below for more menu items and deets.
Find them participating in the Food Trucks for Haiti, Saturday Jan.23, 12-3pm, at TLofts – 11500 Tennessee Ave at Butler Ave, West LA with 20 other fellow foody trucks. Event runs from 11am-4pm. Portions of the proceeds will be donated to the Red Cross International Response Fund in relief efforts for the Haitian people.
More [...]

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Real Food Daily’s Organic Cuisine Menu Update for Jan.18-31

Here’s an update to Real Food Daily’s weekly specials for the 2nd half of January. I’m ready to find out what the forbidden black rice is all about in the Madame Wong’s Stir-fry Palace. My favorites include the Country Vegetable Miso Soup, perfect for this rainy week,Faux-stess Cupcake with gooey white filling, chocolate cake, and fudgy icing, and Peanut Butter Cookies!
Monthly Special Jan 4 – Jan 31
Hippie Love Loaf
Lentils, millet, butternut squash, carrots, onions, herbs, gravy and roasted parsnips, carrots, Brussels sprouts
WEEKLY SPECIALS Jan 18 – 31
Madame Wong’s Stir-fry Palace
Spicy, stir fried Chinese long beans, miso glazed tempeh, eggplant, onion, carrots, forbidden black rice, peanuts
Fajita Chop
Black beans, seitan fajitas, vegetables, corn, cherry tomatoes, shredded cheese, guacamole, salsa, romaine, chipotle ranch dressing, spicy tortilla strips
Week Jan 25 – 31
On the Mexican Riviera
Pecan-cornmeal crusted tempeh, coconut yams, sautéed chipotle greens, spicy black bean sauce, mango salsa
Pippi Longstockings
Chickpea polenta, corn, roasted [...]

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L.A. Foodfest Valentine’s Day Weekend Feb. 13, 2010

Do you find yourself torn between the grilled cheese truck in Hollywood and the southern food truck in Santa Monica? What about when you’re in Venice but the cupcake truck is in Pasadena. Now you don’t have to play cat and mouse or traverse traffic to enjoy all the mobile cuisines on the same day. Thanks to the guiding forces of Shawna Dawson and Sonja Rasula, for one day, for the first time, they will all come together for the L.A. Foodfest on Valentine’s Day weekend, Feb. 13. from 11am – 4pm. Location is still to be determined. All ages are welcome, however no pets are allowed due to food/health regulations.
Now this is how to spend Valentine’s Day! I can’t wait!
Here’s more from L.A. Foodfest:
EAT YOUR HEART OUT!
Set to be a delicious good time, it’s time to celebrate and discover LA’s amazing [...]

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dineLA Restaurant Week is back for 2010

dineLA Restaurant Week is coming up starting Jan 24 – 29 and Jan 31 – Feb 5. Their live to eat line-up includes over 200 restaurants across Los Angeles offering up special lunch and dinner pixe fix menus ranging from $16-$44. Reservations fill up quickly so book yours right away.
Below are some of my favorite menus – Campanile (Grilled Duck Breast with fennel, lemon-thyme potatoes and crisp leeks), Susan Feniger’s Street (Susan’s Mother’s Peanut Butter and Jelly cookies), Joe’s Restaurant (Santa Barbara Black Cod with mushroom soy dashi, baby shiitake, and mezuna lettuce crispy rice) and Sugarfish by Sushi Nozawa (dinner for only $26).
To get the most out of the event, register and use your American Express card to get a $20 statement credit. See below for more details.
CAMPANILE
624 S. La Brea
Los Angeles, CA 90036-3568
323.938.1447
LUNCH $22
Choice of Appetizers:
Soup of the Day
Warm Beluga Lentil Salad – [...]

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Real Food Daily’s Organic Vegan Cuisine Menu for January

Good for you food and yummy comfort food can both be delicious and drool-worthy. Vegan and vegetarian food has come a long way but most people still think of them as tasteless boring vegetable dishes. That is so untrue and the complete opposite, especially with the abundance of choices in Los Angeles. So for 2010, I’m promising myself to remember to try out more new healthy delicious dishes. One of my favorite and very popular restaurant for this occasion is Real Food Daily. This place has done all the work for you in preparing yummy high maintenance food for vegans, vegetarians, macrobiotic dieters, organic eaters, kosher certified, low-calorie low-fat and low-sugar, and all foodies. My favorite is the Cold Soba Salad with soba noodles, julienne vegetables, cucumbers, cilantro, sesame seeds, peanuts, peanut dressing, and marinated tempeh. Check out their new menu [...]

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Holiday Lattes by Got Milk? and Heather Perry at Le Pain Quotidien – West Hollywood, CA

Heather Perry, the National Barista Champ, teamed up with Got Milk? to share her homemade latte recipes for a festive holiday event at Le Pain Quotidien in West Hollywood. It’s amazing how you can take just a few simple ingredients that you already have in the kitchen to make several different holiday drinks. Check out the recipes below. My favorite are the Eggnog Latte and Tres Leches Latte. There are even non-coffee drinks too such as the Holiday Frozen Hot Chocolate.
Enjoy some of the pictures below taken from the event. We got to enjoy several yummy sweet treats – mini brownies, blondies, custard tarts as well as fabulous Got Milk! giveaways including an apron, electric frother, Moka coffee pot, insulated grocery bag, and a $25 Amex gift card!

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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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Restaurant Review: The Hungry Cat – Hollywood, CA

Here’s another perfect spot for dinner after movies at Arclight Hollywood. The Hungry Cat is just across the street behind Borders, tucked away from the noisy street. The place is sleek and modern but low-key with a nice outdoor seating area perfect for a first date or catching up with good friends. Their kitchen serves up seriously fresh seafood and a menu reflecting the culinary genius of a David Lentz and Suzanne Goin partnership. I had no doubt the food would be good but was still blown away by the incredibly flavors of even the most simplest items on the menu – Heirloom tomatoes, burrata and arugula salad with grilled bread (top pic) and steamed king crab leg with grilled toast (pic below).

Here are some of items from their recent dinner menu:
oysters on the half shell $2.25/ each
little neck clams on the half shell [...]

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