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Whenever you want authentic ethnic food, it is always a good idea to ask someone who is actually from the region for their favorite place to eat. My favorite restaurant, Vanilia, in Santorini was recommended by a Greek, and the same Greek recommended Papa Cristo’s here in Los Angeles as the place he goes when he yearns for the comforting food of his homeland.
Papa Cristo’s is a Greek institution, having been in business at the same location for nearly 60 years, owned by the same family. Places that withstand economic turns and fickle tastes for decades do it by doing something well, in Papa Cristo’s case they do several things well, from authentic Greek dishes, to products from Greece you can not find elsewhere in Los Angeles. I saw from the plates at the taverna that portions were huge, so I opted to take a bit of everything home because if I ate in the place, I would end up with most of it in a doggie bag anyway.
Their spanikopita ($2 each) is the best I have ever eaten, and yes, that includes the places I ate it in Greece last year. It is perfectly flaky with a wonderful spinach and feta filling that did not even leave a grease stain on the paper lined foil pouch.
All their meals come with a Greek salad, replete with kalamata olives, feta cheese, fresh tomatoes, and cucumbers on top of romaine and iceberg lettuce. The lemon and olive oil dressing is superb, but I ate half my salad without any dressing it was so good.
Because I don’t remember the last time I saw it offered on any menu in Los Angeles (other than a handful of Asian places), I chose the grilled baby octopus as my entree for $13.99. The serving was so big that the container measured 9″ x 13″ and it was filled! The baby octopus was tender, marinated with a light lemon, olive oil, and oregano dressing, absolutely authentically prepared and addictive. The potatoes had a light seasoning that made the starch very palatable for a non potato eater like me and even though I only intended to taste them, I ended up eating half a potato (which my friends will tell you is a huge amount for me)!
Freshly made pita bread was included in the meal, along with tzatziki sauce (a yogurt and dill dipping sauce), and I tore into this warm fluffy bread with gusto, dipping it into the tzatziki every other bite.
This hearty meal was more than enough for two, much less my one small stomach, so the value and quality here is unbeatable. If you prefer lamb or chicken, or if you are vegetarian, they have all those options for meals, and every choice is under $13. Craving a truly European flavor? Order the whole grilled Tsipoura fish (under $18), a tender flaky fish that could convert nonfish eaters to pescatarians.
Every Thursday they have a “My Big Fat Greek Family Dinner” for $18.95 per person (not including tax + tip) that includes 8 appetizers, chicken, lamb, potatoes, green beans, Greek salad, baklava, Greek coffee, and live entertainment (belly dancers). This is probably more food and value than you can find anywhere else in Los Angeles, so take your family & friends and share the bountiful food and fun.
All you can imagine as appetizers, from dolmas (stuffed grape leaves) to taramosalata (Greek “caviar”) are available, as well as the classic moussaka, kebabs, and gyros for entrees. If you want to make a meal at home, they sell lamb shanks, meats, and cheese in the cold case, and they have even more products in the freezer for you to take home and make later.
They have a large selection of ouzo and Greek wines to complete your meal, and prices are excellent; I bought some white anchovies in olive oil and lemon juice for less than $5 that would have cost over $12 at Whole Foods.
If you are in a sweet mood, there is an entire case of baked and sweet goods from cookies to baklava (a walnut and honey pastry), and loukoumades (fried honey puffs similar to donuts), but the sweetest deal is finding a taste of Greece in Los Angeles until I can go feast in Greece again.
For those of you who live in the Los Angeles area, the Los Angeles Times Travel Issue of BrandX (a generation X publication) published this article I wrote about Santorini in their 5/25/11 edition.
A friend of mine had a pair of “Toe Shoes” by his door and I am not talking about ballet shoes. He said they took some getting used to at first, but he liked them because they felt as if he was barefoot. I am always shopping for shoes and I was intrigued by shoes that could make me feel like I was walking barefoot since my walks wearing regular athletic shoes have led to as many as five blisters per foot.
The most well known manufacturer of barefoot “toe shoes” is Vibram and they retail at stores like Adventure 16 and REI, so finding the shoes is easy. I tried on a few pairs from the lighter Sprint model to the TrekSport, the one I ended up buying.
It took trying on two sizes to find the correct one, but once I did, I loved how light and flexible they felt. There are different models for whatever sports you want, ranging from biking to yoga, and depending on the sport, the soles are made for indoor, outdoor, or rugged rocky terrain. All the outdoor models are quick drying so these are perfect for water sports or places with pebbly beaches.
Look I have alien toes!
The sole of the TrekSport model has more padding for outdoor use on things like sidewalks and rocky trails. I have followed the instructions of wearing them only an hour or two a day and gradually increasing the time to get used to them, but already I want to wear them everywhere. The only negative I have found with them is that even with the Coconut Active Carbon in the upper, my feet perspire after a few hours, but the foot bed is made with antimicrobial microfiber.
Hmmm, something that feels good and is good for you? The philosophy behind barefoot five finger shoes is that they help you walk as you do naturally and therefore the shoes help your posture, balance, and agility while helping you strengthen your legs and feet.
Since Adventure 16 is having a 20% off sale on all their Vibram shoes until the end of the month, it may be time to get a second pair….
What would be more apropos than to go eat sushi and have 100% of the profits from your meal help the victims of the tsunami and earthquakes in Japan? Because several of the people at Takami Sushi have family and friends in Japan, they are donating all their profits to the Japanese branch of the Red Cross with no end date for this generous act of charity as of this post.
If you want to help and either don’t like sushi or don’t live near downtown Los Angeles, you can buy a piece of art here and 100% of the profits will go towards charitable organizations in Japan. Pieces range from $15 to $1000 so get one or get several.
To update yesterday’s post, T Mobile, Comcast, and Time Warner have finally joined AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint in offering free calls (and texts) to Japan for prepaid US subscribers; better late than never, and that applies to sending aid as well.
>Today’s post is short, just like the subject:)
I don’t have any children, but several of my friends are parents or soon to be parents, so today’s post is for anyone with children, expecting children, or who want to buy some presents for a child.
The LA Kid’s Consignment Sale is in Burbank starting today and going on through Sunday from 9-5pm. There will be over 60,000 items on sale, including clothes, toys, and books. For the best selection, go early, for the super bargain, go on Sunday when everything will be 50% off. The address is 157 W. Providencia Ave. in Burbank, and they accept cash, credit (no American Express cards) and debit cards only.
Go shop and save in a big way for the small ones!
My friend Mika saw the cover of this month’s issue of Los Angeles magazine and said, “We HAVE to go get this hot fudge hazelnut torte dessert at Forage!” So we made the trek out to Silverlake, after all, who am I to deny anyone their dessert?
There is a small parking lot behind the restaurant, but we found easy street parking and grabbed the daily menu. I immediately zeroed in on the marinated flank steak and the couscous with peppers, onions, and chickpeas in a sherry vinaigrette. The baby broccoli, sauteed with garlic and onions also looked too good to pass up, so I ordered the combo plate of one protein and two sides for $14.
The flank steak was too well done for me, and even though it was marinated, it was not very tender or flavorful. I literally bent my fork while trying to cut it with the knife. I loved the couscous; it was fluffy, tender, and tasty. The baby broccoli was fresh, lightly cooked, and a good accompaniment to any protein.
Mika tried to order the hot fudge hazelnut torte, but they said they stopped making that particular dessert, so she settled for the banana bread with cream cheese frosting and as her main meal she ordered the Pork Belly Sandwich for $10.25. the Pork Belly Sandwich came on a lightly toasted baguette, with pure pork belly, cabbage, tomato, jalapeno and aioli. It was definitely the hit of our meal. The bread was tender and crunchy, the pork had a perfect meat to fat ratio, and the fresh tomato with crunchy slaw added a perfect counterpoint to the rich pork.
Since we were in Silverlake, we walked around a bit to some of the very eclectic shops, like Pull my Daisy, which carries locally made clothing and accessories; I loved the sweater with a removable scarf and Mika loved the funny painted blocks of celebrities like Martha Stewart in a Darth Vader helmet. Since Mika is a comic book geek, we also stopped by the Secret Headquarters.
After walking off some of our lunch in the unseasonable cold, we decided to stop in Intelligentsia for something hot to drink. Since I had not eaten my dessert, I had a buttery croissant; it was a bit dense and rich for my taste, but a good accompaniment to any strong coffee or tea.
Mika had a hot chocolate and I had a latte, which both come to us in beautiful porcelain cups with designs like this:
Intelligentsia is in gorgeous space with floor to ceiling windows and plenty of chairs, tables and stools for the never-ending streams of customers; even though there is nearly always a line, it moves quickly. Considering how rich and delicious their coffee is, it would only be the intelligent thing to come here after Forage for your caffeine fix (they serve tea as well).
A day in Silverlake having lunch and shopping with a friend is the best antidote to holiday hoopla hangovers.
Every year I give donations to organizations in lieu of material gifts to my friends and family for the holidays. I’ve been doing this for about 15 years now and yes I apply this practice to the children of my friends also, telling them what I am doing and encouraging them to do the same.
For those of you who want to take a baby step towards transitioning to a completely charitable holiday, you can buy some ornaments ($20-$30 each) designed by celebrities (or by you) at HSN, with proceeds that will go to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Center.
My donations this year went to Doctors Without Borders, Amnesty International, and Habitat for Humanity. Today I just learned of an organization which sends food/care packages to troops overseas called Jacob’s Light, started by a mother who would send regular care packages to her son. When her son was killed, she continued to send care packages to soldiers who had no one to send them packages, or those stationed in remote areas without basic necessities like toothpaste or tampons. A philanthropist had given them some grants which will run out shortly, so if you can help, please do by volunteering, writing letters, packing, shopping, or giving them a donation.
Introducing the concept of charity to materialistic kids (or adults) may be met with confusion and resistance, but exposure to new ideas is how we grow. What traits would you rather grow than compassion and generosity? What better season to plant the seeds of charity than the holidays?
There once was a bank that allowed you to round up your purchases to the nearest dollar and the difference would be saved into your saving account. A clever easy way to save, but what if you could use that concept and instead of adding a few cents to your own pocket, you could help someone in need?
Swipegood does exactly that, allowing you to choose what charity you want your money to go to, from getting internet access to people who need it, to providing clean water, or helping cancer victims. The list includes Donors Choose, so you have options to help fund projects and teachers also.
Right now you can only round up a few credit cards (American Express is one of the major ones), but they are adding new ones (Chase, Bank of America), and you can set a round up limit or put your round ups on hold at any time. You don’t even have to have the rounded up donation charged the the same card you sign up to round up, and they tally the totals at the end of every month (most people average $20). Swipegood takes only 5% to cover their operating costs, so they are truly in business to make charitable giving easy.
Since you are shopping for gifts now anyway, why not give a few cents to those who need it the most? You won’t notice the additional cents spent, but it could help make a change in someone’s life, and that makes sense.
Coastal Contacts is doing it again FRIDAY December 17, 2010 (tomorrow) starting at 9am EST (that’s 6am here in CA). If you missed their promotion last time for a free pair of prescription glasses, get yours now by either calling or ordering online using the promo code FREE4ALL. It took me about half an hour of trying online before I finally got the glasses I wanted (I paid a few dollars extra for the tint and UV coating), but yes these were FREE, all I paid was about $10 for shipping. I checked out the exact same frames elsewhere and they were selling for about $100. Having already taken advantage of the promo I can not partake again, but I do have a few tips for your who are patient enough to keep calling or keep trying online.
1) Make sure you have your current prescription and if you like your current glasses, have those in front of you so you can choose a similar model. The site has great explanations on what the tiny numbers/letters on the side of your glasses mean and you can have their system automatically pick a similar size/style.
2) Have a good mm ruler so you can measure the distance between your pupils if your prescription does not show that (mine didn’t); watch the tutorial on how to get this measurement (with a mirror or a friend).
3) If you also wear contacts, order them at the same time as your glasses and get an additional 10% discount.
4) Go ahead and get all the extras you want, like tints, UV coating, progressives, transitions, or anti-reflective coating because all those prices are 50% off even with this promotion.
5) Share this promotion with anyone who has a current prescription, who has not already taken advantage of this promotion for free glasses before, and who does not live in your household!
6) Most importantly be patient, this is a really good deal which is why everyone is trying to get their free pair, so think of your time as what you are “paying” to get the glasses. I figured for my 30 minutes I got over $100 of value so that’s not a bad pay rate; some designer glasses are worth even more (up to about $500) and yes, they are also free!
I got a confirmation email as soon as my shopping cart was processed (it took several tries) and my glasses came with a wonderful hard case, lens cleaner cloth, and a repair kit!
Good eyesight is a gift, but if you need glasses, Coastal Contacts is giving you a great gift!
The Tea Exchange is not only a shop, but a tea room which serves 11 kinds of tea lattes, paninnis, smoothies, and delicious baked goodies. I had the pomegranate green tea and Cindy had a tea latte (our taste in food is as different as our taste in men, but that is part of why we get along so well). We both enjoyed our selections and split a large peanut butter chocolate chip cookie that we agreed was perfect (especially since they warmed it for us before serving it so that it tasted as if it was coming fresh out of the oven.
The selection of teas and tea pots was astounding, ranging from flowering teas to remedies for allergies! If you love tea and are a tea expert, this shop is worth visiting just to peruse the selection of all things tea.
Since we were a bit early for dinner, we also stopped by Scala at 318 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 tel# 310.406.3000 The owner of this shop originally had several stores, but downsized to one location with a varied selection of everything from sky high stilettos to sheepskin boots. I bought a pair of these beautiful 888 flats normally $129, but on sale for $89. Cindy liked them so much, she also bought a pair (in pewter). They are extraordinarily comfortable and flexible enough to carry in your purse as your emergency pair after your stilettos torture your feet.
Ah tea and shopping by the beach, life is good!
L’Epicerie literally translates to mean a spice market, but in France it is usually a delicatessen which serves up prepared foods as well as raw ingredients that you can put together to make up a casual meal. In Culver City L’Epicerie will mean a market/cafe/tapas bar. For those who are early risers, there will be freshly brewed coffee or organic juices with pastries and tartines (open faced sandwiches). For those who want an afternoon bite there will be crepes and smoothies, and for those looking for a bite after work, they have a menu of Tapas during happy hour for only $4 that includes items like:
Terrine de campagne, Cumberland sauce
Tortilla de papas
Marinated anchovies
Marinated octopus, sundried tomatoes
Ceviche de corvina, cilantro, jalapenos, lemon juice
Farmer market vegetable pickles in champagne vinegar
Pig trotter, red wine vinaigrette
Field mushroom, garlic and parsley, country bread
Of course they will have wines by the glass and bottle as well as prepared meals ready to take home, so this may be a great stopover when you are too tired to cook but want to enjoy a meal that has not been mass produced by a chain market. A little bit of spice can liven up a dish, and a small Epicerie in Culver City can be just the thing to liven up your holiday season.
