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For those who bake, vanilla is as essential as sugar to most sweet recipes. Vanilla Bake Shop has recently opened a small storefront in the Westfield Century City Mall. One of my friends is already a regular and as soon as we entered, she was greeted with “Welcome back”! (Being a regular in any bakery may be a sign that you may have a sweet tooth 
The cupcakes are moist, made with quality ingredients, and they serve organic coffees if you want to enjoy your cupcake at one of the two tables outside.
The variety of flavors changes daily with a few daily offerings, like the Bittersweet Dark Chocolate, made with Dark Chocolate Cake, Bittersweet Chocolate Frosting, and Sprinkles, and the Mom’s Birthday Cake, made with All American Yellow Cake, and Milk Chocolate Frosting (the sugar flower on top makes this the cutest choice). Since I don’t have a huge appetite for sweets, I loved the little baby cupcakes which were literally two bites each and only $5.25 for three.
The regular size cupcakes ($3.50 each) are for those who want a full dessert, and they also make regular sized 6″-14″ three to seven layer layer cakes which can be ordered for special occasions with flavors like black and white raspberry, dulce de leche crunch, and fleur de sel. The pink cupcake below is the Vanilla Bean, made with Creamy Vanilla Bean Cake, Madagascar Bourbon, and Vanilla Bean Frosting.
Every day has some unique cupcake flavors, like Meyer Lemon raspberry on Saturday, made with Yellow Butter Cake, Lemon Curd Center, Vanilla Bean Frosting, and Raspberries, or Marshmallow Graham on Tuesday, made with All American Yellow Cake, Graham Cracker Chocolate Crust, and Toasted Marshmallow.
With so many choices, it’s easy to take the owner’s motto, “Remember to take a moment out of each day to enjoy something sweet” literally!
Mornings should be greeted with something that makes you smile at the start of your day. If you stop by Maison Du Pain for some pastries, like their Pain au Raisin, or a Pain au Chocolat, you can completely erase the pain of having to get out of bed. I had been here in 2009, but they have greatly expanded their repertoire in the last two years and when Benoit from La Petite Creperie said the baguettes looked good, I had to go back and taste one.
Their baguettes did look good, but how did they taste?
Cutting one open, I found the crust perfectly chewy, with a satisfying crunch, and the interior had a soft texture that is neither too soft nor too dense. The flavor bespoke the quality of the ingredients and the freshness of the loaf. This is a classic baguette, the one you want to eat plain straight out of the bakery. It’s one of the best I’ve eaten in Los Angeles (and I have eaten dozens of baguettes in this city)! If you buy two or three, you might make it home with enough to give someone else in your household a taste.
Although I love Papa Cristo’s for Greek Food, today I wanted a nicer ambiance and a shorter drive for my Greek food fix, so after breakfast, I went over to Ulysses in the Farmer’s Market/The Grove. I had eaten here two years ago with friends from France for a late lunch (see my previous post) before I left for Greece, so I wanted to see what I thought after having been to the country.
I was impressed that their wine list included a wine from Santorini, and that they served a very generous glass for $10. It was crisp and had a slightly mineral taste as the wines in that region are typically made.
The bread basket included a nice chewy olive bread and a good baguette, served with a creamy and tangy cheese spread in lieu of butter.
I chose a spring salad topped with Calamari for $13, and For those who prefer chicken or lamb, you can top your salad with meatier protein. The calamari were tender, and the salad of greens mixed with red and yellow peppers, olives, red onions, tomatoes, and feta was dressed in a oregano infused oil and vinegar sauce which did not overwhelm the greens. After my last disastrous salad at Villa Blanca, this was a welcome change. I loved the generous amount of calamari, but found the amount of feta on the salad was a bit too generous and left most of it.
Two years ago my friends were both impressed by the fact that this was the only Greek restaurant we stopped at where the hostess responded to “Kalimera” with “Kalimera” (Good Morning). My visit this time was no different, when I left I said “Effaristo” (thank-you) and the host answered “Malakalo” (you’re welcome).
Authentic French pastries, great baguettes, and a Greek restaurant which retains the language and the style of Greece; Los Angeles may be a melting pot, but I am glad to find the unique flavors of different food cultures are still distinctly ethnic.
I love introducing my old friends to new places; it’s like watching kids discover a new toy hidden in their closet. Even though Cindy only lives about one hour away, coming to “The Big City” offers possibilities her bedroom community does not, and some of my neighborhood favorites, like Huckleberry Cafe, are exotic tantalizing experiences for her. Since she is a pescatarian (eats fish, but no other animal), a place which offers vegetarian choices automatically gains a spot on my list of places to take her.
Being an omnivore, my choice was the asparagus salad, made with arugula, Jidori chicken, fried prosciutto, roasted red peppers, feta, red wine vinaigrette, and of course asparagus for $12 (normally farro is also included but they were out). This was an incredibly luscious combination of crunchy prosciutto, tender greens, and juicy Jidori chicken. The light dressing enhanced the salad without overpowering it, and the tender asparagus was perfectly cooked. I would order this salad any day as a hearty meal.
Cindy chose a trio of salads for $12 from the deli, with brussel sprouts, squash, and the best quinoa salad she has ever eaten (her words) made with pistachios.
She adored the soft slice of bread that came with her salad so much she took it home.
She also ordered a cup of the pureed vegetable soup for $4 which was a symphony of fresh goodness in a cup.
I had to order a doughnut ($2.50) since Huckleberry makes my favorite fluffy yeast doughnut (but I did share it with Cindy).
I would have ordered some of the best beef brisket I have ever eaten to go, but we were going shopping and I wasn’t sure it was cold enough to leave it in the car for several hours. Oh well, that just means I have to come back (again)!
>I miss France and whenever I am not there I look for places that remind me of France, especially the food. Since I brought back some macarons from Paul (a French Bakery) for a friend here in Los Angeles, he suggested I try the macarons at La Provence in Brentwood to contrast and compare the authentic ones from the Brentwood version. The motto of the cafe is “local, fresh, and organic” so if you care about where your food is sourced, this place will put you at ease.
This cute bakery/cafe has a beautiful display showcasing their macarons and pastries as you enter, and it is a very casual place where you order at the counter and they deliver the food to you, so it’s perfect for a quick lunch (they also serve dinner).
We decided to make a lunch of it with two other friends on a warm day when sitting out on the patio in March was not only pleasant, but preferable to sitting indoors. Shelly chose the Turkey Club Sandwich, served with a side of fries or salad for $10.95, and she enjoyed the oven roasted turkey, baked bacon, avocado, tomato, muenster cheese and mayo on fresh french bread.
Both Wendy & Jessie ordered panninis, made with avocado, mozzarella, tomato, arugula, and aioli pesto for $10.50; they both were cafe habitués and this was one of their favorites.
I chose the Nicoise Salad with Ahi, made with green beans, tomatoes, hard boiled egg, and kalamata olives served on a bed of greens in a mustard vinaigrette for $14.95; it was a decent version, with medium rare ahi and a nice balance of classic ingredients. I would probably order one of the sandwiches or specials next time, but I wanted to try my standard for lunch and see how they fared (passing).
We came for dessert, and particularly the macarons, so I got their chocolate ganache cupcake and a chocolate macaron to go. The macaron was a good version of the classic French ones, but I found them a bit too big and sweet for my taste, however most Americans would probably love them. I also found the flavors a bit artificial and the coloring a bit bright, so although they are fresh and delicate, they fell short of my requirements for excellent macarons. My friends all loved them, so I must note that I am simply pickier than most when it comes to a product I know from its place of origin.
On the other hand, the chocolate cupcake was THE BEST I have EVER had! I would come back to eat the cupcake alone! It had the perfect balance of frosting to cake, a wonderful texture with just enough moisture and crumb, and just enough sweetness to make you want to eat the entire thing (and not get a toothache). I can not rave about this cupcake enough, so you will just have to go and taste one for yourself. If you don’t like deep chocolate nirvana, there are other choices, like a red velvet and a salted caramel.
La Provence is a full fledged bakery, making full sized cakes (think a party version of the chocolate ganache cupcake), so if you fancy a white chocolate strawberry shortcake, or a hazelnut mousse cake, or a lemon caramel meringue brulee cake for a party (or dinner), order one and delight your senses.
With decent food, a varied menu, reasonable prices, and a nice atmosphere, La Provence may not be the South of France, but it is a nice place to stop by for lunch or dessert in Brentwood (or Beverly Hills) until you can get to Provence, France.
It was a cold and gray day in LA (hey that rhymes!) when my friend Mika & I got together for our meal at the Little Next Door. Even with the outdoor heaters we opted to sit inside rather than on the patio because it seems some restaurants still have areas that are deemed “smoking”. It seems like an upside down world to me that a French influenced restaurant in Los Angeles has more smokers on the patio than cafes in Paris.
Since it was so cold (here in Los Angeles that means 50 F), Mika ordered a hot tea and received this unusual Tea Forte silken tea bag in the shape of a pyramid. The flavor was White Ambrosia, and Mika liked it so much she had refills.
I chose the grilled calamari salad, made with roasted bell pepper, shaved fennel, spinach, lemon-caper dressing for $15. This is now tied with the grilled calamari salad at Toscanova as my favorite. The calamari was tender and the young spinach held up well to the slightly tart lemon caper dressing.
Mika wanted meat, so she ordered the Hambourgeois, made with top sirloin ground beef burger with onion confit, harissa mayo and pommes frites $15. She requested it medium rare with Gruyere and reported that it was juicy and cooked exactly as she had requested. She especially loved the harissa mayo which added a spicy creamy topping to the fresh bun.
Somehow we found room to split the coconut cheese cake $6 topped with fresh berries. It was too thick for Mika’s taste, but I loved it and we both agreed the taste was sensational.
Since Mika had never had a French macaron, I recommended that she try the pistachio $1.75 since it would compliment the cheesecake. She finished it in (literally) two bites; I think I may have introduced her to a new addiction…
Although service was wonderfully friendly and efficient during our meal, the hostess could use some more training with customer service because she was obviously very annoyed to change our seat from the patio to indoors even though there were many open tables in both areas. Fortunately the warmth of our waiter made up for that bad first impression and we left with smiles in our stomachs and on our faces.
Since it was another beautiful 80 degree day in Southern California, I wanted to have lunch outside and the sunny colors of Maison Richard‘s patio off Melrose beckoned to me. Yes, this is the place that was Michel Richard on Robertson Blvd for 33 years. The new space is bigger, sunnier, and brighter with the yellow sunny color of Provence. There is an adjacent bakery with pastries as beautiful as paintings (and as tasty), and some pates, cheeses, and salamis so you can pack a picnic to go if you are in a hurry.
Since it is still Dine LA week, there was the $16 lunch menu (which I had to ask them to get me), but I opted for the Whitefish with mustard sauce and vegetables. Since house wines were only $5, I asked whether the Rosé was dry or fruity and the waiter gave me a taste so I could decide. My verdict: crisp and fruity, as Rosés from the South of France usually are (and this wine was from the Golfe de St. Tropez) so I nodded yes to a glass with a smile.
The Whitefish came with a small salad, dressed in a light vinaigrette with tomato, and olive and diced pimentos.
The Whitefish ($14.95) came with julienned zucchini and carrots. The mustard sauce served on the side was very rich and very flavorful, but I added only a small drizzle to my fish to accent the tender filet. The portion was much too big to finish, but I enjoyed every bite. It was wonderful to have a basic French menu to choose from and to have gorgeous pastries to peruse. I have decided that for my next trip to Maison Richard, I will come for dessert, and if I have room, I will consider a light meal after I finish my dessert!
When people who make wonderful food expand their repertoire by opening up a new venture, it is always worthy of a trip to try it. Since I love Huckleberry for all their savory entrees and sweet treats (see my previous post), I knew that their latest venture into ice cream would have to be wonderful. It was. Everything in Sweet Rose Creamery, from waffle cones to the toppings of cookie crumbles, roasted granola with coconut, and brownie bites are made by the shop. It smells like a bakery when you walk inside, and the old fashioned counter with stools looking out to the street gives it a “Mayberry” feel.
The specials change daily, with non dairy options like a coconut lime or blood orange sorbet, and traditional flavors like Malted Chocolate with Toasted Hazelnut Praline, or the fresh mint with chocolate chip that I ordered, but you can try the Earl Grey or Ginger if you are adventurous. You can taste up to two before making a selection, and I love how they use metal spoons that they rewash instead of plastic that fills landfills for the tasting spoons!
I was truly shocked when I tasted the fresh mint in my ice cream; I know the name of the flavor is fresh mint, but the burst of pureness caught me off guard. It was not too sweet or minty, more a perfectly creamy blend of both and it was a great afternoon treat on the outdoor patio.
It’s good that I chose a small cup after my big lunch, but next time I will come back with a friend and split a banana split or have an ice cream sandwich; we’ll just have to burn it off running along San Vicente afterwards.
It is a rare morning when I am awake in time to try breakfast anywhere since I rarely get up before 11am (yes, you may envy me). But on the rare occasion when I actually see morning in the PST time zone, I enjoy going out for breakfast. I had to wait for a service that required an early morning appointment and I was in the vicinity of Bistro Laurent, so I passed the time by having breakfast at this very cute cafe. I loved walking into this intimate clean space with jazzy French music. It was nice to see a diverse clientele of business, locals, and tourists all frequently this new cafe. The counter displayed some very impressive pastries with croissants and pain au chocolat that were bigger than three would be in Paris, but this is the US where I guess French pastries are super sized just like everything else here. Service is very effiecient and friendly with a server who actually spoke French (always a plus when eating in a French bistro).
I ordered an orange juice that was at least 14 ounces, made of freshly squeezed juice that was good enough to finish.
For my breakfast, I chose the waffle with blueberries. It was a beautiful plate, with fresh cut melons and plump blueberries. I was only disappointed with how the waffle was a bit soggy because it was soaked with blueberry juice from the macerated blueberries. The waffle itself was nice and chewy with a crunch in the parts that had not been blueberried and I did not even use the syrup. The waffle was huge and I could only manage to eat half of it, but not for lack of trying, only for lack of stomach space; the waffle had about a 12″ diameter!
One day I will wake up before noon again, and when that day comes I may come back and try something else on the menu here, but more than likely I will share it with someone else because the portions here are enormous.
I went back to the Little Next Door today with Cindy and a camera that works, so today’s post is a visual one with more (clearer) pictures to go with my previous post.
The daily special was grilled sardines on a fresh bed of spinach, roasted red peppers and a garlic vinaigrette ($18). This was the dish when it arrived.
This was the dish after I had my way with it. I would eat this every day if I could.
Cindy opted for breakfast with the spinach omelette with feta, red peppers, garlic, onions and black olives $13) with a potato gratin side and salad that she said was the best she had ever had (and she eats alot of spinach omelettes).
I took dessert to go, choosing pistachio, black cherry, and lavender* macaroons ($1.75 each) and two palmiers ($1.50 each). The macaroons are rich and delicately flavored and the palmiers were perfectly sweet and crunchy. Cindy took home a mixed fruit tart ($6) and a puff pastry filled with whipped cream, but because she was rushing to avoid rush hour traffic (how ironic) I did not have a chance to take pictures before she left. Oh well, I guess that means there will be a third trip back to the Little Next Door sometime soon.
*There is no picture of the lavender one because Cindy ate it in the car before I could take a picture of it.
Ever since I walked by and saw the very cute French Provinçal patio, I have wanted to try The Little Next Door Cafe, which is literally next door to the Little Door, its bigger and fancier night time sister. The Cafe is also a bakery and shop, so you can stock up on colorful French macaroons or breakfast treats like croissants, or pick up a dessert of Baba au Rhum or a lemon tartelette.
Since the decor is straight out of a sleepy beach side cafe in the South of France and several of the staff are French speaking, it is fitting that the menu has French classics like Escargots, Quiche, Boeuf Bourguignon, and Croque Madame; for vegetarians they have roasted Quinoa, a trio of Roasted Beets, and Green Lentil Salad; for Southern Californians, Ahi Tuna Tartar with Hummus, Roasted Saffron Salmon, and hamburgers. there is something on the menu for everyone, whether you come for Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner.
I went for lunch, so I chose my standard Salade Nicoise* ($16) and was very pleasantly surprised by the quality and variety of ingredients, including authentic Niçoise olives, balsamic sauteed onions, haricots verts, ripe tomatoes, boiled yellow potatoes, and my personal favorite touch, anchovies served on the boiled eggs. The tuna was cooked rare with a tasty tapenade, and even though the service was a bit slow (the waiter told me the tuna took longer to prepare than other dishes, but only after I asked why my order was not ready). When my order did arrive, it was beautiful and every item on my plate had a distinctly fresh flavor. It seemed some servers were more efficient than others, so it is a luck of the draw whether you will get good or mediocre service.
They have a happy hour from 4-6:30 with 30% off all wines and beers by the glass and all appetizers, so you can sit on the patio as the sun sets and get a taste of the South of France without having to go through airport security (but if you want to pretend you are traveling, you can take off your jacket and put your phone on the table).
*I am still working on getting my new camera to take good pics, so please bear with me, this was the first time I have actually been able to take any picture at all!
** See my new post with new pics on this restaurant here.
