Drink Houz - Los Angeles

Cappuccino 

 Drink Houz is a new wellness cafe in the Westlake neighborhood of LA on the ground floor of HoM on Temple. Drink offerings include nutrient dense juices and smoothies, and a signature coffee and tea program created by Jeremy Gurney, featuring JGursey products. The flavorful menu of mostly vegan and vegetarian offerings is created by, Chef Amy Nesbit, with salads, sandwiches, bowls, and daily specials all made from the finest all natural ingredients. The bakery program is by Rockenwagner Bakery.

I was pleasantly surprised with everything I had. I'm definitely not the type to go Vegan, but I wouldn't mind eating this a few times a week.

3231 W Temple St Los Angeles, CA 90026

Shot Houz- Wellness - Lemon, Ginger, Cayenne. The burn lasted a bit as it went down.

Chop Houz (VG) - Chopped Baby Romaine & Kale, Heirloom Tomatoes, Chickpeas, Red Onion, Fresh Herbs, Cucumbers, Avocado, Honeyed Walnuts, Topped with Premium Aged Cheddar Served with Chive-Honey-Dijon Dressing. Refreshing and delicious. The Aged Cheddar added a nice nutiness to this salad.

Zen - Kale, Cucumber, Toasted Sunflower Seeds, Avocado, Sprouts, Pickled Red Onions, Roma Tomatoes, Roasted Pears, Vegan Potato Roll (Got sourdough instead). You may not believe me, but this is probably one of the best sandwiches I've had. Simple does not do justice to how balanced the flavors were. No dressing was needed as the roasted pears added an extremely sweet round flavor complimented by the tartness of the pickled red onion. The toasted sunflower seeds added the perfect texture you would want in this sandwich. I would order this again, hands down.

Delicious baked goods by Rockenwagner Bakery

When you are in the area, had a great workout and want something clean, delicious and nourishing for your body, check out Drink Houz.

3231 W Temple St Los Angeles, CA 90026

208 Rodeo - Beverly Hills

Rodeo Drive is definitely a tourist trap. But, as much as it is, there are plenty of great restaurants around there that I am willing to drive out for. 208 Rodeo definitely caught me off guard. I was very pleased with what I had tried. Typical brunch items are normally what you would expect from one to another. What I had here was not only delicious but convinced me that I would come back for brunch if I ever was in the area.

208 N Rodeo Dr, Beverly Hills CA 90210

Double Cappuccino. 

Flatiron Steak, roasted potatoes, eggs, and toast. The flatiron was cooked perfectly, extremely tender, ridiculously juicy.

proof of perfection.

CRAB CAKE BENEDICT - Loaded Crab Cake, grilled tomato, poached eggs, English muffin, and topped with a lemon hollandaise sauce. What I couldn't get over was the lemon hollandaise. Such a slight citrus touch, but made the dish very bright.

Proof, of perfectly poached egg.

208 N Rodeo Dr, Beverly Hills CA 90210

Dr Sandwich - Beverly Hills

I like coming to Dr. Sandwich (Kosher) before headed to LACMA. My favorite thing to order is their Chicken Shawarma stuffed in a pita with all the fixes. The small restaurant is located in a small plaza on Olympic Blvd. It's only valet parking, but you could probably find street parking if you're lucky.

9113 W Olympic Blvd Beverly Hills, CA 90212

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Philippe The Original - Los Angeles

I've been contemplating about LA the past few weeks. I grew up here, so the thought of leaving this place was never something that crossed my mind. I've never lived in a different state or ventured long enough to make somewhere else home. But now that I'm older, being faced with adult situations, you kind of think about things you normally don't. 

I kind of ask frequently what's great about Los Angeles. When family members or a friend who have people coming over different places ask where they should take them, I immediately draw a blank. But the more I'm thinking about it, the more I'm thinking how great LA is. We have all kinds of food for once that is accepted. The culture in LA is such a huge conglomerate where authenticity lives on. If I wanted legit Korean food, I can find it. Same with Mexican, Oaxacan, Japanese, Chinese, Italian, etc. We also have great museums: The Huntington Library, The Getty, MOT (dark, depressing, amazing testimonies). Beaches! We can find snow if we really wanted to. Theme parks. Whatever it is, it's reachable.

I thought about this when I ate at Philippe's. It's been a while since I've been back here. Doing a food blog really pulls you away from spots you frequently visit. Because of that, It's been over a year since I've been back to Philippe's. Read about their history here.

There were no lines when we arrived. Everything still looks the same with the additions of accepting credit cards (FINALLY). Soft wood or hamster bedding, whatever you want to call it, still scattered across the floors. I also go for the same thing. Roast Beef sandwich, half dipped, with a side of coleslaw.

I like to enjoy each bite with a generous dose of spicy mustard. Beware of nostril stings. Cool off with a big for of coleslaw and a bite of that perfectly pickled pickle. Just remember to not die when crossing streets. 

One of the most nostalgic staples of Los Angeles. 

1001 N. Alameda St., Los Angeles, CA, 90012

Caffe Primo - Santa Barbara

I don't normally take time throughout the year until the end because of how hectic work can be. And I honestly don't have anything planned for myself to begin with. I am ready to leave 2016 behind. It was tough, and for most of the hard times, it lingered for months like mold rotten behind a wall you don't know about. I just couldn't save myself from it and it sucked my soul for the rest of the year. Come 2017, I'm going to make sure I don't let that happen again.

We decided to take a short trip to Santa Barbara this winter. More so for the scenic route since I really didn't want to drive down to San Diego again. The drive is just not enjoyable. The weather was gorgeous in Santa Barbara and I immediately fell in Love with State street downtown SB. The buildings were pretty much all Spanish style. Super tall that it casted a shadow from the sun which was the only con I can give. Not really doing much research on restaurants, I relied on yelp to find a satisfying Italian place to lunch.

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Without much luck, a lot of restaurants were closed and some seemed like closed for good. That's when we stumbled upon Caffe Primo. Tall glass windows casting tons of soft light into the dining hall. It created such a warm welcoming vibe that I was ready for. And, Italian. Something I was craving. I just want to slather noodles in my mouth big bites at a time. It's one of those months. 

Each table was greeted with a small vase of fresh flowers. This easily enlightened the mood. Santa Barbara you are winning.

A lot of water was needed to stay hydrated throughout the day. Especially with all the coffee we've been drinking.

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Caesar salad. Delicious, but the wrong dressing was mixed. This was actually a balsamic dressing. I didn't want to return this because it would go to waste. And it tasted fine so we didn't mind.

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White truffle angel hair pasta. Succulent shrimp with a white truffle cream sauce. Everything was cooked perfectly. The sauce was nice and creamy. The avocado was a new twist, but added an extra layer of creaminess that worked well with the tartness of the tomato. The white truffle was subtle, but you knew it was there. I would definitely order this again.

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Short Rib Pappardelle. Braised short ribs that will melt in your mouth tossed in a red wine mushroom ragu. Topped off with Reggiano for that nice bite. This is so classic and excellent for the weather. Extremely comforting.

Done and

done.

516 State St Santa Barbara, CA 93108