Dec. 1st Cannot Get Here Fast Enough:Top Chef All-Stars

Say What?!? The absolute best thing about the Top Chef Reunion was the announcement of the next season of Top Chef...Top Chef All-Stars. The NEXT best thing was the fact that I didn't have to wait long to see it...December 1st. Again, say what?!? I can barely contain my excitement. Some of my favorites (Dale T, Tre, Carla, Richard, and Marcel)are in the cast. Sadly, Casey, Dale L and Mike I are back and my Andrew isn't. *sigh* But, I guess I should thank my luck stars evil Lisa isn't in the cast.


Here's the list of cheftestants:

Elia Aboumrad
Stephen Asprinio
Richard Blais
Jennifer Carroll
Tiffany Derry
Tiffani Faison
Carla Hall
Mike Isabella
Jamie Lauren
Dale Levitski
Antonia Lofaso
Spike Mendelsohn
Angelo Sosa
Dale Talde
Casey Thompson
Marcel Vigneron
Fabio Viviani
Tre Wilcox

If you are an avid Top Chef viewer, you know that this is a very talented group. Also, they are all so different style wise. It's going to be hard to call the winner (but I bet Jamie is the first to go home). So,again...super excited! This is going to be AWESOME.

Holy Macarons!

I never cared much for french macarons. They've been the big thing around these parts for awhile now. I mean, they're everywhere. Macarons are the new cupcake. I've tasted quite a few, and my assessment was always, "eh". I realize I've never been to Paris. So, I have not had a proper introduction. But, lately, I've really wanted one. I mean, I've had a serious craving for macarons. Why, you may ask?

Four words. Top Chef: Just Desserts!

It seems that someone made a macaron every freakin' episode. While I knew I didn't care for them, I just had to have one. They looked amazing. I literally died when I laid eyes on Morgan's red hot macaron. ***fainting***

So, I conducted a little search and came across a little spot in DTLA. Paulette, with additional shops in San Fran and Bev Hills, has created a new macaron devotee.

As I entered the shop, I was greeted by a case filled with an assortment of the tasty treats. Caramel,caribbean chocolate, coconut,Colombian coffee, lemon,
Madagascar vanilla,Sicilian pistachio,sweet wedding almond,earl grey tea,violet cassis,rose,and passion fruit.

I selected coffee, pistachio, almond, earl grey, violet cassis, and rose. OMG! They were crunchy and chewy. Just delightful. My favs were the pistachio and earl grey. The pistachio was the first one I ate and by far my fav. Again, the texture was perfect.

Best part, macarons are gluten free. Score!

Thank GOD I live in LA

Sometimes, I'm so over Los Angeles. But, more often than not, I thank the good Lord that I'm a Cali girl. Since the start of my new eating plan, I find myself grateful to live in a City with so many awesome resources and options. But, the one thing I'm most thankful for (foodwise) is Babycakes NYC.

BabyCakes is a bakery located in DTLA that offers all-natural, organic goodies free from the common allergens: wheat, gluten, dairy, casein and eggs. Also, no refined sugar. I know what you're thinking...blech! That's everything that's good and right about sweet treats. But, it's unbelievable how delicious the goodies are. Over the course of a few weeks, I've tried a number of things. They are probably most famous for their cupcakes. Honestly, I'm not a fan. I've tried a couple, and I just don't enjoy the texture or the icing. However,my favorite thing is their chocolate chip cookie. It's not just a good vegan, gluten free cookie. It's a fantastic cookie...period. After one bite, my sceptical colleagues became believers. It's crisp on the outside, with a chewy center. Mmmm. I actually might brave the heat just to get one cookie. They are really THAT good.

If you are in LA or NYC, do yourself a favor and go grab a cookie.


NEW YORK CITY, NY

248 Broome Street (Btwn Orchard & Ludlow)
New York City, NY 10002 (Google map)

Telephone 212.677.5047
Email info@babycakesnyc.com

For delivery information, click here.

Hours of Operation
Monday: 10am-8pm
Tuesday-Thursday: 10am-10pm
Friday-Saturday: 10am-11pm
Sunday: 10am-8pm

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES, CA

130 East 6th Street
(between S. Main Street and S. Los Angeles Street)
Los Angeles, CA 90014

Telephone: 213.623.5555
Email la@babycakesnyc.com

Hours of Operation
Tuesday-Saturday: 10am-10pm
Sunday: 10am-6pm
Monday (very limited menu): 12pm-6pm (or until we sell out!)

Hello Again

I'm a terrible blogger. I mean, for reals. My schedule is still really nuts, with no end in sight. So, I'm just going to have to make the time to blog. Although, I've been seriously busy, that doesn't mean I've stopped eating. Oh, and I do mention my food outings on Twitter @wannabefoodie08.

I've had some really great food this summer. Highlights include: More meals at The Bazaar, BLD (blueberry ricotta pancakes are a revelation), Comme Ca (I live for their crab cake with the celery root and green apple), Petrossian (amazing blinis and the most amazing mushroom cappuccino I've ever tasted), Perilla (Harold's spot in New York--um, farro risotto anyone!), Richard Blais' Flip Burger Boutique in Atlanta (buffalo sweetbreads!! yum!), Rivera (again, amazing! and I have to go into detail later), 'witchcraft, Peaches in Brooklyn (quaint little restaurant...the Low Country bowl was off the chains good), Morimoto's in Philly (OMG! The Duck Duck Duck rocked my World), and all of the awesome food trucks in LA. Oh, and the ultimate, lunch at the 3 star Michelin restaurant Le Bernardin in New York. It was my summer of food, y'all. But, alas...all good things must come to an end.

So, I've officially switched to a gluten-free, dairy-free diet. I know. For someone who's favorite food mantra is "Everything is better with butter and bacon", it's tragic. But, alas it's something I have to do. I'm actually quite excited about the whole thing. I'm still a foodie at heart. I think of it as not only a challenge, but the ultimate adventure for this wannabefoodie!

FAVORITE THING: Mendocino Farms

It's been awhile. Technology has encouraged my inconsistent blogging. It's much easier to spread the word about a great meal or a new restaurant via Twitter. I know I've said it before, but I'll try to do better.

My last blog post was about Mendocino Farms. Since that time, I've eaten there a few times. Each time, I tried a new sandwich. I've loved each one. My only complaint is that the sides are just OK. But, honestly, it's all about the sandwich.

I've tried:

Kurobuta Pork Belly Banh Mi- Take on the Vietnamese sandwich with caramelized cubes of delicious kurobuta pork belly, pickled daikon and carrots, cilantro (hate it, but works), cucumbers, jalapenos, chili aioli on panini grilled ciabatta. This sandwich was AMAZING! Seriously. I couldn't finish the entire sandwich for dinner and ate the rest the following morning. It was even better. Everything just works. The heat is not overpowering. You also have the daikon (which I LOVE)and cucumber to provide a refreshing end. I could eat one everyday. It's that good.

A French Onion Soup Melt -smoked gouda-gruyere fondue with caramelized onions, panini pressed on Dolce Forno pretzel roll. Yum! I also added the homey ham to this sandwich. I have a love hate relationship with caramelized onions. I mean, I love them, but they can be a bit much at times. It's the issue I have with French Onion soup. I love it, but sometimes it's a little too sweet. Cheese was nice and gooey. The bread was AMAZING. Good sandwich. It's on the Spring menu, so it's only around for a limited time.

Chicken MBT -roasted chicken, mozzarella, basil pesto, tomato, balsamic vinegar, and greens on ciabatta. This is a sandwich I often make (well,I switch out the tomato for roasted red peppers). So, it's a fav. This version was tasty, but unremarkable when compared to the others. I almost forgot I had it. Also, I prefer hot sandwiches.

Blue Buffalo, Not a Blue - roasted chicken in buffalo sauce, blue cheese cabbage slaw, tomato, fried onions on panini grilled ciabatta. Although, I love these flavors I was a little unsure. But, it was tasty. My fav part was the blue cheese cabbage slaw. I only had it one other time and really enjoyed it. The big drawback is that the sandwich was REALLY messy. So, it was good, but I'm cool.

PB^3 - Crunchy PB, Honey Roasted Almonds, caramelized Bananas, and Applewood Bacon, on Ciabatta. Oh, and on one occasion, my sandwich had green apple. This sandwich was the April secret sandwich. I'm a little upset that it's not available anymore. It was really, really a great sandwich. It had a lot going on, but it ALL worked.

Oh, and let me not forget the other awesome thing about MF...the Boylan’s sodas. Specifically, the diet Black Cherry. Delicious! It's such a cool idea. Honestly, who wants to drink a Sprite while eating one of those amazing sandwiches? Not me.

They are now at three locations: FYI; the Grand location is difficult.
444 S. Flower St, Downtown LA, 300 South Grand Ave, Downtown LA, and 4724 Admiralty Way, Marina del Rey

Must-visit lunch spot in Downtown LA

I recently had lunch at a wonderful spot downtown. Getting there was more than a notion, but once there, I was in 7th heaven. There was a long line, but the staff was very effecient. I decided to have soup and sandwich. I selected the Vegan Butternut Squash soup. It was creamy and silky smooth. It was by far the most flavorful butternut squash soup I have ever tasted. Love it!I had the Wine Country Steak and Brie Sandwich. YUM! The sandwich consisted of Point Reyes Farmstead Blue Cheese spread, horseradish crema, carved steak, french brie, caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms, tomato (I nixed the tomato). I don't love carmelized onions on sandwiches, but I didn't mind it as much. All of the ingredients combined to create a truly yummy, extra cheesy sandwich.



http://www.mendocinofarms.com/