Neighborhood...

It's been a long time since my last post (many things going on: work, visitors, trips... ), but now I'm back and I really hope to be able to post more often. I'm already organizing all the pictures to show you some cool things that happened during this period I was away. Stay tuned!
So, in order to celebrate you and my neighborhood - two things I was missing a lot - today's post is about two restaurants and a delicious ice cream shop that hubby and I love and which are very close to our home:

Momed
Mediterranean menu with a modern twist, this restaurant has a casual atmosphere, friendly waiters and a menu that ranges from super tasty lamb burger and hummus avocado to farro salad to freshly baked flatbreads.

Bibigo
Korean food restaurant with a more modern presentation for traditional dishes, the main attraction is the traditional bibimbap (dish consisting of carbohydrate, protein and vegetable) served in a hot stone bowl .

Sprinkles - Ice Cream
For dessert: Sprinkles Ice Cream. Last year, the LA most famous cupcake opened an ice cream shop (it took us almost a year to try it). Inside the shop, everything is white and red and the ice creams are delicious. You can have regular cones/cups but you can also make sandwich with ice cream + cookies or ice cream + cupcakes!
The first time we went there we had red velvet (white chocolate ice cream with chunks of red velvet cake) and chocolate. They still hold the title of the best red velvet cupcake but the ice cream didn't wow me. However, the chocolate flavor is very good!

International cuisines at affordable prices just a few steps away from home ;)

Wurstküche, Downtown LA

This post pays homage to my German in-laws: a simple but cool German restaurant in the Arts District Downtown LA: Wurstkuche.

It's a small modern place that serves delicious traditional (and non-traditional too) grilled sausages and some nice German beers!

You order at the counter (you choose the sausage and the sides) and they bring them over to your table which is already fully stocked with a fair variety of mustards.

It's a great option for those days you want to eat fast food but with better taste, cool people and nicer environment (in the main area - pic below - they have a DJ playing live).

In love: Rockabye

How not to fall in love with these rockers from RockAbye?

Super cute, with colorful and playful designs, they do not resemble anything the rocker chairs of my time.

The price is higher than average but the company claims excellent quality and you should also think it as a piece of decor for your kid's bedroom.

Rocking the rockers!

New York, 2013

Last month I had the opportunity to visit NY again. So exciting!!
It was a business trip, so I didn't have too much time to try new and fancy restaurants or go on long walks, but I did get to visit new places (I finally crossed the bridge and went to Brooklyn!), go to museums and revisit a couple of my favorite places (Eataly and Bouchon, for example). Here are some delicious moments of the trip that I was able to capture:

Happy Hour at Eataly

Breakfast at Bouchon (cafe latte with brioche and jam)

Central Park from above (Mandarin Oriental Hotel)

Manhattan "seen with Brooklyn eyes" (Williamsborough Bridge)

Drinks and late lunch at Rabbit Hole. Brooklyn, NY.

Running some errands... (I couldn't stop myself from walking "gazillion" blocks as I always do when in NY)

Hot Dog at Times Square (Why not, right?)

Running some errands - part two...

Delicious lunch at Tiny's & The Bar Upstairs (so good!)

Need more tips about NY? Find some good ones here. 

This week's DELIGHT: Lime Yogurt Cake

Last week I made a recipe given to me by my dear friend Bev: Lime Yogurt Cake.

I've been trying to make cakes with yogurt in the batter, but for some reason, they never worked out well. So Bev gave me her recipe (along with a delicious slice) and voilá!!
This cake is delicious! The lime (or lemon, if you prefer) taste really stands out. And, on top of that, it doesn't take butter. Mmm...

Details - "Foods & Drinks" Version

Salad, The Farm of Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills, CA

Biergarten, The Standard Hotel, Downtown LA

Rainbow Sushi, Crazy Rock n'Sushi, West Hollywood, CA

Salmon Tartare, Spencer's, Palm Springs, CA

Quinoa Salad (french fries with truffle oil), Viceroy Hotel, Palm Springs, CA

Homemade Smoothie (eyeballing): organic almond milk, organic blueberries, banana, oats and chia seeds.

Banana and Nutella Pie, The Pie Hole, Downtown LA

Bowl, Chipotle

"Homemade" Croissants (using Pillsbury dough)

And to DETOX all this: GREEN JUICE (eyeballing): organic cucumber, organic carrots, organic apple, organic spinach (or mint), water (or coconut water), ginger powder (or the real one!)

My Favorites: The Churchill, LA

Last Sunday I was feeling too lazy to cook and since the fridge was empty, we had to go out to lunch. Well, I'm so glad you did because I found one of the best Eggs Benedict ever!!

The place is called The Churchill and I always thought it was a pub, but it is not! It is a restaurant / bar with a cool vibe, beautiful people and a delicious brunch!

Hubby ordered steak and eggs. The pic doesn't do justice to the steak (it is underneath the bread!). But it is a super tender great size steak.

My Benedict came with corn bread instead of English muffin!! Oh Lord... It comes in an individual iron pan, super hot and delicious! The sauce was light and paired very well with corn bread.

For sure this place is gonna join my list of favorites and I will come back for more! (every Sunday brunch they offer bottomless mimosa (pay one, drink several!) Not bad, huh?