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Farmers Market - The Grove

August 27, 2017

The Farmers Market at The Grove is one of the main reasons why I make the drive out. Besides the fresh produce and butcher shops, they also have a French gourmet store called Monsieur Marcel. I love stopping by Monsieur Marcel for some shaved prosciutto di parma and other things of course.

I've eaten at many places offered at the Farmers Market. My old go to spot was Pampas Grill for some sirloin cap or picanha. That was my favorite thing to get, but I decided to venture and attempt to try something new.

Here are a few new favorites of mine:

Phil's Deli and Grill

Their french dip is not as the OG Philippe in Chinatown Los Angeles, but it hits the spot if this is something you're craving for.

Their pastrami sandwich was delicious though. The rye bread was pleasant and not overly powering, with a nice crust.

Accepts Credit Card *Thumbs Up*

Next Stop: Moishe’s Restaurant

I've heard negative things about this place. A lot of it is service followed by food. From my experience, I've received friendly service from the ladies over the counter. And the food I've tasted, was also delicious.

My go-to is definitely their Lula Kebob. Incredibly moist with loads of flavor.

Their chicken kebob was good, but not great. Lula is still my favorite, but I wouldn't mind ordering the chicken from time to time.

I don't have a photo of their baklava, but it's one of the best I've ever had. Made with pistachios. I'm not a total sweets person, but I can eat 2 of these. CASH only so don't forget. Prices are a bit steep for a Farmers Market so be warned.

Enjoy.

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Jane Q - Los Angeles

July 4, 2017

Jane Q is expected to launch their opening sometime between the end of July and August. The restaurant will be located on the corner of Argyle and Yucca streets. There will be bar seats near the open kitchen. The food we had that evening was a preview of a few items that will be in store on the menu. Tons of fun flavors. I'm excited to see the full menu once the restaurant opens its doors.

Below are some delictables I was able to try.

Amazing veggie tower with 2 dipping sauces.

Brick oven pizzas in the making.

Their all-day menu is focused on seasonal local produce, sustainably-sourced fish & meat, and pizza, all prepared in a rotating hearth oven. They will also have beers, wines, and cocktails, all on tap.

Jane Q serves modern Los Angeles cuisine with produce purchased directly from the Hollywood Farmers Market which is only a couple of blocks away. You can find locally-roasted coffee, house-baked pastries, made-to-order breakfast specialties plus fresh-pressed juices and smoothies in the morning.

Stay tuned for updates.

1800 Argyle Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90028

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Casa Chocolate - Mid-City Los Angeles

September 13, 2016

I know a lot of people that hate LA because of traffic. People who live on the west side would take an our or more just to get to work that's a few miles away. And on the weekends, you are lucky if there isn't any traffic. All native LA residents know what it's like to drive out to Santa Monica, West Hollywood (oh god), Beverly Hills, Culver City, and so on. So when I am actually out towards that area, it gives me an incentive to find a local restaurant to eat.

I had to run some errands one Sunday morning and found a small cafe tucked in a small plaza. It's called Casa Chocolate.

5450 W Pico Blvd, Ste 501 Los Angeles, CA 90019

I instantly fell in love with their displays. It's simple yet catchy. From the photos of the doors, to the self serving water with lemon and orange slices, to the ketchup, and the array of classic hot sauce and sweeteners.

They have a huge menu with tons of variety. Prices are also very decent especially for the location. I stuck with their traditional house favorites.

Ordered 2 cappuccinos. One for John and one for, well, me. Espresso from Groundworks.

Amazing take on the classic dish - 2 farm eggs cooked to your liking, I had mine over easy. Black pinto beans cooked perfectly and not overly starched, everything served over a corn tostada, topped with ranchero sauce, green tomatillo salsa, avocado salsa, sour cream and queso fresca. So flavorful and so delicious. Loved the char onion and serrano on the side. A must order.

Ranchero steak omelette. FULL of flavor. The beef was perfectly marinaded, extremely tender, and smokey from the char. Cooked with onions, peppers, and mushrooms, folded inside the egg with monterey jack, ranchero salsa and queso fresco. John ordered this, but I am going to make sure I get dibs on this next time. Served with a side of fruit, ranchero sauce and green tomatillo.

Enjoy when you are in the area or passing.

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Olson's Scandinavian Delicatessen - Los Angeles

September 6, 2016

Who would've know that Olson's Scandinavian Delicatessen has been around since 1948? There are a lot of words to describe this place, but the only word I can think of is how LOVELY Olson's is. I've never had real Scandinavian food and the closest would be Ikea (love Ikea by the way). The deli is located close to the 10 freeway off Washington towards Fairfax. I'm just happy that I don't have to drive into Beverly Hills or West Hollywood.

5660 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90019

Before ordering your food, take a moment to notice the decorations and the many items on sale. From candles, to books, to mugs, to bibs, sausages, and even Scandinavian candy! You can find the real Swedish fishies here.

Here are the dishes that we ordered:

There were many, but one of my favorites was their Grav Lax:

GRAV LAX is prepared with their own Dill Cured Salmon, Red Onions, Fresh Cucumbers and choice of Horseradish Lemon Sauce or Mustard Dill Sauce on Brioche Bun. This salmon was so different from your typical smoked salmon. Since this is cured, you get the subtle, beautiful sweetness of the salmon that is wrapped with the slight herbaceous flavors of the dill. The mustard dill sauce was also fabulous. There is also a poached egg added for an additional charge.

Also a fan of their Shrimp Spagen. This is the Lobster Roll of Scandinavia. Greenland Shrimp, mixed with Creme Fraiche, Dill, Shallots, Mayo, Golden Caviar stuffed in a Brioche Bun. The flavors are extremely luxurious especially because Creme Fraiche is used. All Sandwiches served with a side of pickled cucumber.

Make sure to check them out soon. It's not everyday we find a Scandinavian Delicatessen in Los Angeles.

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Thrive House - Algae Oil

October 29, 2015

I've got to say, I was really excited when I received an invite to taste Algae Oil by Thrive. I know what it is... but in oil? I've never heard of such thing. Thrive is the first and currently the only culinary Algae Oil on the market. With that being said, their mission is straight to the point:

“Our mission is to advance nutrition through algae oil to help people live better lives”

— Thrive Culinary Algae Oil

Being at this event, we learned that the average person gets only half the daily monounsaturated fat -Also known as MUFA-. What is Monounsaturated fat? I hope it's pretty obvious by now that I am not a dietitian. All I can tell you, is that Monounsaturated fat is the good fat that we find in an avocado. The GOOD fat we are talking about here. Guess what one tablespoon of this oil gives? It's equivalent to one avocado. One. I don't know about you or if you've noticed, but avocados are expensive. And I'm sorry, I can't eat an avocado a day even though I love it. But Algae Oil? I can use that in absolutely everything. And being at this dinner proved that.

Upon entry, we were greeted with friendly smiles, and Oh My God look at that view

Gorgeous right? Tucked away in Hollywood Hills, this was definitely a million dollar view. But honestly, we were greeted with wine. A definite yes! And here I thought, I was going to eat vegetables and extremely raw green food.

No. I hear something in the background. Sizzling. The smell? Beef fat. What is it? Oh you just wait.

I was just talking with my coworkers today, about how I cannot do Goat Cheese. Just something about the earthy, grassy, musky taste of it. And I knew, this was goat cheese. But like all foods, I try to keep trying foods to appreciate why everyone likes it. Verdict? I loved the combination. The goat cheese was very mild which complimented beautifully with the sweet roasted grapes. The grapes are roasted in balsamic, rosemary oil roasted and infused with Thrive algae oil. I am definitely going to make this at my next cocktail party that I throw. I knew I should've ate more. I just should've.

Forgive me for the camera shake. It was such a challenge to keep the chicken on the stick without it twirling around. These were fantastic. So juicy, tender, flavorful. Served with a roasted red pepper salsa with some Thrive oil. ideas? Chimichurri madness. I am so excited to make this dish on my own with the Algae Oil.

Not going to lie, I had 2. These are minis I know, but when you have an extensive course ahead of you, you would want to pace yourself. Simple, clean, crunchy and decadent. By the way, I was not even think that I was consuming Algae Oil. So far, the flavors are very light and balanced.

Attention! take your seats. At the table, we talked about ourselves, what our blog entails, and most importantly, what Thrive is all about. I can really see the passion in their eyes when speaking about the difference they want to make in every household, every beating heart.

Without further ado, it's time to eat.

First Course

Roasted Beet Salad - Marinated Goat Cheese, Toasted Walnuts, Champagne Vinaigrette, Roasted Beets marinated and Blended with Thrive Algae Oil.

Seared Kampachi & Ahi Sashimi - Togarashi, Citrus Segments, Lotus Root Chips, Jalapeno Ponzu, Shiso, Seared, with Thrive Algae Oil.

Beef Tataki Salad with Fall Greens - Mizuna, Daikon Radish Sprouts, Shiitake Mushrooms, Miso-Dijon vinaigrette dressed with Thrive Algae Oil.

So yummy, and one of the best beat salad compilations I've had. Again, I'm not a big goat cheese fat, but the way they infused the oil into the cheese just made it more mild and smooth. It definitely compliments the beets an the toasty walnuts. This might just change my perspective on goat cheese because of the oil.

Remember earlier when I said I smelled sizzling beef fat? This was it. So on this note, Thrive's Algae Oil has a high smoke point at 485 compared to Peanut Oil at 440, to Canola at 400, to olive at 375, and to corn at 320. Is that amazing or do we need to shut the door? I am so interested to see how this will sear with my Ribeyes. This dish was extraordinary. Exceptional. The beef was beyond tender. And this was one of the best Tataki takes I've had. I loved the vinaigrette that they created, with the subtle touch of the oil to give it a slight slick. Amazing.

This was love x's infinity. Throughout the course, everything was extremely balanced. I told the Brand Manager Joshua, that I am eating food. Like, literally. Everything that I was tasting, tasted like how it should be. Nothing was masked in any flavor, but the ingredients spoke true to itself. The serrano pepper that made my ears hot in the best possible way, drizzled with ponzu, with the shiso... it almost felt like I was having a Kaiseki.

Second Course

Tea Smoked Salmon with Crispy Skin - Soba Noodle Salad, Baby Bok Choy, Sweet Peppers, Edamame, Yuzu Vinaigrette, Wild Salmon seared and dressed with Thrive Algae Oil.

Crispy Chicken - Blistered Green Beans, Tamari Ginger Dressing, Sesame Seeds fried, baked and dressed with Thrive Oil.

They delivered on crispy. This dish reminded me of something my mom or dad would make as I was growing up. The flavors of the green beans is not something you will find typically in a restaurant. I honestly, haven't flavors like these beans since childhood. It definitely made me reminisce to the foods I grew up eating.

This was one of my favorite dishes. I loved how the tea smoke gave the salmon this beautiful sweet seaweed flavor to the skin. There was slight peaks of Yuzu that brought the dish together, not too much, just perfect. The bok choys were also a nice texture element to this dish. I am such a happy girl.

Dessert

Flourless Chocolate Cake - Black Sesame Brittle, Mandarin, Green Tea whipped Cream. Cake is baked with Thrive Algae Oil.

This cake was so moist. It felt like a Molten lava cake. The center was slightly wet with crusty edges. Not trying to freak anyone out, but this opened up my palette and I was hungry again. I don't even know how this is possible... to taste so freaking good, but it did. And I hate myself for loving everything so much.

As we are finishing up the rest of the wine, some guests were headed out as Ubers were being called. Me? I just wanted to stay in this house. They have enough oil to last me a while.

The end results? I am definitely going to start using Algae Oil. I am extremely pleased and impressed by this product, and how pure the flavors were to the dishes that were created. Not only that, it's better for the planet. At Thrive, they believe in nourishing people today and for generations to come with the earth's resources in mind. Their target for Thrive Algae Oil will be one of the most sustainably produced cooking oils, with more Thrive Algae Oil per acre of land, and a low carbon and water footprint, than nearly all other cooking oils.

Currently, you can only find Thrive Algae Oil at a Los Angeles Gelsons Market. But don't worry, you can always order their oil at their website: http://www.thrivealgae.com/buy-now/

I can't wait to share some culinary adventures with this product. It really reflects a lot of purpose with my blog, Food Within Reach. You don't always have to eat out to have a fantastic meal. Thrive proved that with their oils with their Gourmet, but yet simple meals.

Stay tuned for recipes you see above.

Go get your Thrive Algae Oil today!

Daisy

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Wine & Dine

Farmers Market - The Grove

Jane Q - Los Angeles

Casa Chocolate - Mid-City Los Angeles

Olson's Scandinavian Delicatessen - Los Angeles

Thrive House - Algae Oil