LA woman on a quest to eat her way through Los Angeles

Friday, November 5, 2010

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!)