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 ;)

Cheers! (no alcohol this time!)

To fight the heat it's doing here, nothing better than a fresh juice. So a good tip is to stop at the Beverly Hills Juice. A tiny shop, very simple with delicious juices!

It's been quite some time that Los Angeles is all about pressed juices (fruits processed by hydraulic pressure which, they say, have a higher nutritional content and does not oxidize as fast as the other methods).
These juices have become a must in the healthy/zen world, specially for those people who go on liquid diets, or want to detoxify, energize, etc.
The juice is very tasty. I bought this apple ginger coconut and I really liked! The juice is not too sweet and you get that "burning feeling" from the ginger (you have to really like ginger!)

For those familiar with the variety of juices and fruits in Brazil and its cheap prices, this is more expensive (I paid $ 6 a bottle), but it is worth if you want something different to keep you hydrated and refreshed especially during summer time.

Details...

Beverly Hills, CA

My Favorites: Lette Macarons

I don't know if you remember, but for Christmas dinner I bought some macarons. They are from Lette Macarons and are certainly included on My Favorites list.
I am their customer for quite some time, since it's one of my favorite gifts to give to friends, party hostess, coworkers etc. But this time I decided to give my family the chance to try these little pleasures! I bought almost every flavor available (about 13 or 14) and one is better then the other. The dough is very delicate and the filling is light and creamy. Perfect for an afternoon with family and friends sipping some tea or liqueur.

Stop by at the Beverly Hills shop. I'm sure you will be dying to try one of each!

My Favorites: Brownie from Crumbs Bake Shop

Brownie is also on my list of favorite desserts. And recently, I discovered that the Crumbs Bake Shop has a delicious one!

Crumbs is from NY, but have some shops here in Los Angeles. And they are also famous for the cupcakes. I've tried a few (they have a very large variety) and they are also very good. They are quite big and not so delicate - in size and presentation - as those from Sprinkles or Magnolia Bakery, but they are delicious and perfect for sharing!

In addition to cupcakes, they offer hot and cold drinks, mini-cupcakes, pastries, cookies and brownies. One day I went there and saw the brownie. I ordered the traditional - nothing else but chocolate - and loved it! Besides being a very generous slice, it is crunchy on the outside and creamy inside. Delish!
I didn't have my camera with me, but as you all know already, this is a great excuse to come back and try again. And I did!

As they had ran out of the traditional one, I opted for chocolate covered with cookies & cream (pic below). The cookies & cream were a little too sweet (but on this day, I could've eaten a spoonful of pure sugar), but the chocolate batter was just like the one I had eaten before!

And the Beverly Hills store is open until 10pm. Perfect when we are craving something sweet after dinner!

Jack n' Jills - The Return

As promised here, I went back at Jack n 'Jills and this time I took pictures of the food! I went there with hubby and a great friend, and we had coffee, belgium waffle, omelet and granola parfait.

  

What a great way of starting a day!

Halloween Special - house decor

And to top off our Special Halloween, here are some pictures of decorated houses in the neighborhood. With all these posts about Halloween maybe you get excited and plan something for next year!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

See you next year, Halloween! Welcome Christmas!

My Favorites: Honor Bar Burger

This My Favorites' edition (check out previous editions) is special, because I always have great time when I'm in Honor Bar - amazing place, not only for the burger (which I will speak in a second), but also because it is a very pleasant environment, with live jazz every late afternoon, nice waiters and a ultra-affordable price.
The menu is simple but delicious with a few burgers, appetizers, wines, imported beers and fine drinks.
Hubby and I have tried almost the entire menu and came to the conclusion that the Honor Burger (first burger pic below) joins the list of our favorite burgers.
Made with meat, cheese, tomato and a special coleslaw. The salad dressing is divine and, along with a perfect cooked meat, are responsible for making it a super soft and moist burger.
Another excellent choice is Crispy Chicken Sandwich Ding's (second burger pic below). It comes with the same coleslaw but instead of meat is a delicious crispy chicken fillet!
All this accompanied by good-quality jazz, a glass of wine or beer, and a thin and crisp French fries (don't forget to ask for the 3 dressings that comes with it!)

It is a small space and happy hours are crowded, but is quieter on weekends.
Oh, and by the bar is the restaurant from the same group called South Beverly Grill. I have not had a chance to try, but some friends had and they said the food is also very good.

Italian Restaurant Il Pastaio

Il Pastaio is a very charm Italian restaurant here in Beverly Hills. Part of a group of cool restaurants in the neighborhood, Il Pastaio is famous and very popular (reserve when the group is large or  peak day/hour).
The dishes are delicious, the atmosphere is quite nice (especially if you sit at tables on the sidewalk), and you might bump into some celebrities!
The price is a little higher than normal but still affordable (the menu with prices is available on the restaurant's website).
If you are in more than two people or hungry, ask for the Antipasto Casereccio, a cold dish with hams, eggplant, bruschetta, etc, that serves two people.
I've tried various pasta dishes on the menu and it is difficult to ask for something not so good. For dessert, the Tiramisu, the Pana Cota and Apple Tartare are great!

Vosges Haut Chocolat

Walking through the neighborhood this weekend I saw a new store: Vosges Chocolate. Since I'm crazy about chocolate, I didn´t miss the opportunity and got to know it a little more.

I discovered that Vosges, a brand of luxury chocolates, "wants the customers to take a cultural journey through chocolate." Maybe that's why the store is so different: in its decor you can find influences of Aztec, Mayan, Moorish, and almost every chocolate is created with some spice, herb or nuts.
They have a huge variety of products ranging from bars, truffes, toffees and marshmallows to cake, pancakes and cookies mixes. The packaging is in a lovely shade of purple!
I tasted milk chocolate with bacon (you can´t taste the bacon. You feel something savory, but it is unclear that it is bacon), a dark chocolate truffle with vanilla ganache (delicious!) and, finally, milk chocolate with ed pepper (I recommend! At first you feel nothing, but after the chocolate melts in your mouth, get ready, because there is a spicy feeling coming!)
Prices are higher than you would pay for a chocolate, but you do notice the quality of the ingredients used.

It's certainly an excellent suggestion for a gift for others or for yourself!

Greystone Mansion, Beverly Hills

Over the weekend, I went with my hubby and a friend to the Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills.
I had heard about this place for some time, but never had the opportunity. So, to do something different with my guest, there we went!

         

The Greystone Mansion was owned by the Doheny family (a very important family from the oil business that also names a major Drive here in Los Angeles), but was acquired by the city of Beverly Hills and became a public park (entrance and parking are free).
Unlike most American attractions, you can´t bring food, drinks or pets (maybe that's why when we were there, it was pretty empty...). But still worth a visit to see the incredible view of the city and stroll through the gardens.

   

The mansion is used for filming and events until today. That same day there was a wedding going on (very good idea because the ambiance is beautiful!). The ceremony was held outdoors in the garden and the reception around the main house. Since the house was closed for the event and we found no one from the park to talk to, I can´t tell if the mansion itself is open to visitors or if it is just the gardens (when I get back there I'll find out and let you know!).

As a curiosity, here are some movies that used the mansion as a backdrop: The Social Network; There Will Be Blood, The Prestige, Garfield, Austin Powers: Goldmember, Spiderman, X-Men, Indecent Proposal, The Body Guard and Ghostbusters among many others.

Quiet and nice stroll in Beverly Hills!