Kiwi Kaboom!

This has been my breakfast drink of choice as of late.  My mom bought me a ridiculous number of kiwis at Costco and so I've been blending them with orange juice, ice, and tiny bit of sugar.  Forget that kiwis make my mouth feel fuzzy-the color is fantastic!

Viet Noodle Cafe

This is pretty much Vietnamese food for hipsters.  The plus side of that is that there are plenty of vegetarian options, as in the spring rolls displayed above.  These are probably one of the best vegetarian spring rolls I've had, primarily because the were stuffed with jicama.  The downside is that the food cost more than I usually like to pay for Vietnamese-I think this may have to do with the organic ingredients they use, so maybe they've justified it. 

Their banh mi sandwiched are pretty great.  I've had the chicken and the white fish (cooked with tumeric and dill).  The tofu shitake banh mi was a little too sauced up with hoisin.  

Also, the Vietnamese iced coffee is excellent, on the creamy side perhaps. 

Viet Noodle Bar

3133 Glendale Ave

Los Angeles 90036

Marsala Mushroom Pasta

So I tried to make this recipe work sans the heavy cream for reasons of health but really, that's silly. So in went the cream.  I think the key to this one was plenty of thyme-whole sprigs.  

Ingredients:

roasted garlic

mushrooms

tagliatelle

thyme

parmesan reggiano (grated)

marsala wine

heavy cream

chopped onions

1. roast garlic and saute with mushrooms and onions in olive oil and butter

2. add marsala wine and thyme

3. let simmer until reduced

4. while wine is simmering, cook tagliatelle 

5. add a 1/4 cup of heavy cream into wine sauce and let simmer until sauce is thickened

6. add pasta and cheese

The North End's pride and joy: Mike's Pastry

Mike's Pastry located on the small, winding Hanover street in the heart of Boston's North End can always be identified by the swarming people. 

This Italian pastry shop is a stop for tourists and locals alike. But make no mistake, Mike's is not for the weak. Only serious sweet tooth patrons can handle the oversized desserts. 

Pictures is a whip cream puff, Boston Cream Pie, 

hot cocoa, and the classic yellow cream canoli (which is unappetizingly phallic). 

My favorite dessert by far was the Boston Cream Pie! I've never been crazy about cream or this particular dish, but you better believe, I ate that entire slice. The chocolate was a fantastic fudgey texture. The cake was incredible soft like a sponge cake. The cream wasn't that sweet, which balanced the chocolate perfectly. 

Mike's is known for it's cannoli's but, my family is not a big fan of the dessert. I just can't eat cylinder shaped desserts that have yellow cream oozing from one end. I have to draw the line somewhere. 

The hot cocoa is also the perfect way to end a cold fall night in Boston. 

Spike's Hot Dogs

Spike's is a hot dog joint in Allston, Ma. Allston is the home to many ethnic restaurants, including the Korean community. Therefore, I try to avoid Allston (or the Koreans) as much as possible. But Spike's is a damn good reason to head down to Brighton Ave. 

Pictured is Spike's Junkyard dog and junkyard fries which seems to be the staple order here. The hot dogs have no sweeteners, fillers, or preservatives. Each wiener is topped with tomatoes, scallions, onions, Spike's mustard, pepperocinis, and a entire dill pickle lies parallel to the dog. 

They've thrown the classic, not-so-tasty hot dog bun out and replaced it with a french roll that is baked on site every day! It gives a new level of carb satisfaction - something that is imperative for me. 

The hole-in-the-wall is decked out with car memorabilia and polaroids of people who've consumed up to 11 dogs. So you know it's good!

The menu features all kinds of inventive names. The German Shepard dog is topped with sauerkraut and mustard, while the Samurai dog has teriyaki sauce and onions. I will have to try the Buffalo dog next time which comes with buffalo sauce and bleu cheese dressing. Other dogs include Texas Ranger, Sinatra "have it your way" Dog, and my favorite, the lonely guy dog. So aptly named for it's covered in mustard, scallions, chopped onions, and sauteed onions. 

It's a fun quick bite for a great price. MMMM I love hot dogs. 

Wien Bakery

filled with  chestnuts, red bean, and other beans of a sweet variety

some sort of melted sugar, honey, pull-apart loaf (this was my favorite)

I have fond memories of visiting Seoul in the Summer and going to Wien Bakery with my aunt and eating one of their coffee flavored ice cream bars.  I've recently discovered that there is a Wien in Koreatown, and the space is actually very nice with an outdoor patio and garden party decor.  Thomas and I sat outside and had our morning coffee, sampling our various purchases.  There were several small birds around and the ground was still wet from the rain.  The whole thing was actually very sweet.  

They have a lot of Asian-European breads and pastries, decent coffee, and some sandwiches (usually slathered in mayo-think tuna salad, egg salad).  What I find interesting about Korean bakeries is their use of rice flour, usually in conjunction with red bean.  Very good.  Is it even a pastry anymore if you're substituting the flour for rice?  In any case, the results are a mochi-like chewiness, but heartier.  I think I'm going to make a habit of going there every Friday on the way to my internship.  

3035 W Olympic Blvd

Los Angeles, 90026

Malo

I want to like Malo, I really do.  But I think it's just overpriced.  The burnt habanero and creme salsa and their white sangria are excellent though.

4326 W. Sunset Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90029

Pan Con Tomate

simple spanish lunch.  i toasted some bread, crusty french variety preferable, and then rubbed garlic and heirloom tomatoes so that only the tomato pulp stuck to the bread.  A drizzle of olive oil and then proscuitto-i think serrano ham is the traditional meat of choice but i didn't have any on hand.  

Olean - Unhealthy Mediterranean...it's possible.

To celebrate my parents' surprise visit to Boston and my..white uncle Zac's birthday, we went to Olean. The Mediterranean restaurant was located in Cambridge in a transformed house. It was very charming with an outdoor patio covered in large sunflowers. 

The menu was fairly simple with the basic meat and fish entrees. The pret a mangers were a real treat. If I go back, I want to order the Pret a Mangers as my meal! We had a fantastic rabbit Schwarma that was served with radished, cucumbers, and a tart Greek Yogurt. Next to that is a picture of a deconstructed soup with Kefka. It had some spicy meatballs and a deep-fried fennel cake. 

They also had a classic hummus appetizer that was scoops of hummus wrapped in a thin slice of meat, almost a cross between pastrami and prosciutto. The hummus was fantastic and so rich! They also had a deviled eggs appetizer that utilizes tuna with the yolk. It was fresh, not canned, and topped with tomatoes and black olives. The real kick, however, was the CURRY! They added curry to the yolk and tuna mixture to really give it a sting. 

I ordered a parmesan pork that was served with Radicchio, basil emulsion, and onions. It was very good - but I don't think pork is the right texture for me. I would've preferred what Doc ordered. It was a beef brisket that cut like a stick of butter. It was extremely soft and melted in your mouth. It's pictured ^^ above. Some chorizo was also plated with it. Zac ordered a crispy duck dish that he absolutely "oo-ed" and "awh-ed" over. 

We didn't stop there! We ordered some unique desserts and Turkish coffee after our entrees. Pictured with the candle is a salty straciatella ice cream with pear butter and almond beignets. Atop the ice cream was this incredible chocolate mousse. It was cold to the taste like ice cream, yet it didn't melt. It was a killer combination with the very unexpectedly salty ice cream. The Turkish coffee was like a grainy mud. It's served in a petite cup and has the consistency of coffee grinds mixed with touch of hot water. It was extremely bitter but, perfect for those who like their coffee...STRONG. 

The food was extremely rich and certainly not something to have on a regular basis. But this is definitely somewhere to take someone you want to impress. A lot of careful thought seems to be put into each dish and it's sure to be a unique Mediterranean experience. I've never felt so guilty about Mediterranean food. This a must when my sister comes back to town. :)