A Healthy Choice

Me with my duo
of "healthy-ness"

With winter rolling in, the California swell is coming.  Although I could wear shorts all year round in LA, the weather at the beach has definitely taken a turn.  Katherine and I have made a plan to try and go surfing as much as possible this year.  In order to accomplish our twice-weekly goal, we knew that wetsuits were going to be a necessity.  I had already purchased mine over the summer, but Katherine was in need of some serious rubber.

We headed to Main Street in Santa Monica to check out ZJ's surf shop.  The manager of the store was surprisingly helpful, and hooked her up with an awesome Roxy suit!  After a little shopping on Main Street, we ended up at the Promenade.  We knew traffic was going to be horrendous, so we decided to take our time, and maybe stall a little with dinner.  

Not a huge fan of all the chain restaurants down 3rd street, I recommended True Food Kitchen.  Tucked away in Santa Monica Place (near Nordstrom), this hidden gem is a great after-shopping stop.  The menu provides many healthy, yet hearty choices, and there is something for everyone.  The restaurants' concept is to take popular trends in dining, and match it with healthy choices.  Although there are plenty of gluten free and vegan choices (shitake and tofu lettuce cups, heirloom tomato and watermelon salad), you can also find a grass-fed bison burger and an assortment of pizzas.  

While looking under the starter menu, the Edamame Dumplings caught my eye.  I wanted to match the dish with something light, so I also ordered their classic Tuscan Kale salad.  

Tuscan Kale Salad
Lemon, Parmesan, and Bread
Crumb

The dumplings were delicious. The outer shell was thin, yet still dense and chewy (almost like gnocchi).  Inside was an edamame puree that was surprisingly flavorful.  I usually find the beans to lack a distinguished taste, but the filling was almost as wholesome as a sweet potato. The best part was definitely the white truffle sauce.  The oil soaked into the dumplings without being too overwhelming and pungent.  The daikon radishes didn't do much for the dish.  They resembled bean sprouts in thai food, but without the crunch.

With only 4 simple ingredients, the kale salad was amazingly complex.  The acidity from the lemon brought out the richness in the green.  I've never liked "dirty" tasting vegetables, but kale was very well complemented with the sharp and salty parmesan.  The bread crumbs also provided some texture to the dish, making it more filling.  True Food Kitchen was the perfect choice for my healthy and hearty vegetarian dinner.

Wild Mushroom Pizza
Roasted Garlic and Tallegio

Katherine had a salad for lunch, so she opted for something a little more dense and rich.  She asked for my advice between the Wild Mushroom Pizza and the Turkey Lasagna.  Although the gluten-free lasagna sounded great I told one of my rules of thumb: stay away from dishes the restaurant makes beforehand, and then just heats up.  Unless you're at an authentic italian restaurant, where they make the dish to order, I would usually stay away from the lasagna.  The whole point of eating out is to get fresh food you wouldn't usually get from your kitchen.  

She was happy with her choice.  The mushroom pizza was the perfect size with the right amount of cheese and crust.  She said that the shrooms really absorbed the flavors from the garlic and the dish hit the spot.  

I always enjoy my dinner dates with my "wife" Katherine.  The healthy choice of True Food Kitchen was a merited change compared to the usual Umami burger and dessert adventures.

The New Burger Bar

Me outside with my menu!

This week I was presented with a very valuable opportunity. My close friend Natalie Stahl was given 4 free tickets to an opening of a new burger place right on Figueroa by campus. Due to her mom's friend, who is a PR manager for the company, we were chosen as some of the first guests to try out "Built: Custom Burgers" and give our feedback to the restaurant. Besides the obvious free meal, I saw this as a great opportunity to use my critical evaluation skills for the new restaurant. Built is a new branch of The Counter- the upscale "build your own burger" chain of California. The idea was to create a fast and casual version of the place, that is cheaper in order to appeal to the population of college students in the area.

Natalie and I arrived at the location around 1, where we met Cary and Katherine, our two other friends joining us. There were a few other people standing outside and a crew member with a clipboard checking in the different parties. I didn't realized that it was a closed event and you had to be on the "VIP List".

I liked the outside decor for opening day. Brown paper bag like material lined the windows. It gave the place a modern urban feel, a style that definitely attracts the university's students. I thought it was funny that the restaurant was placed right next to the "Pizza Studio", a build your own pizza joint. This style of restaurant, like Chiptole (also on the street) works well for college students. It's fast, cheap, and customizable. This makes it easy to grab something when your on the run, or go with a big group because there is something for everyone.

The Burger Bar

The doors finally opened and we jumped in line ready to build our burgers. The assembly line was set up with chalkboards designating which step of the burger process you were at. You began with which type of patty you wanted. I decided to stick to the basics and get an all beef burger. I wanted to customize all the ingredients I would topple on. The next station was the bun. All of my friends ordered the "bun of the day"- the pretzel bun. I wasn't feeling like anything too salty so I stuck with the original here as well. Yes, this was a boring burger so far. As we waited for the line to shift one of the crew members encountered a problem. One of the oversized pretzel buns got stuck in the toaster! Reminded me on the time the toaster oven in my apartment got stuck and one of my roommates almost started a fire! Luckily he handled the situation pretty well and was able to remove the bun and continue helping customers. Next was the fun part: the condiments. Because the meal was free we could add on as many regular or premium condiments that our heart desired. Cary's goal was the make the biggest burger they'd ever seen. Not too difficult because we basically the 5th customers. I chose the coleslaw, sautéed onions, and the roasted tomato. For the sauce I went with the Roasted Garlic Aioli. I liked how you could test the different sauces, so many to choose from. At the end of the line I picked the featured fingerlings for my side. These potatoes were similar to the smush potato fries from Umami. Small little round potatoes with the crispy skin still on.

One of the employees adding my
roasted tomatoes (a premium
ingredient) to my burger.

My burger and fries! Don't know how a normal fry ended
up in the mix?

We grabbed one of the bar tables and started to devour the burgers. I really liked the combination of all of my ingredients. The coleslaw was fresh and not too mayonnaise-y. I asked for only a little bit of it, but the burger builder piled on basically a pound. Both the sautéed onions and roasted tomato brought a lot of rich flavor complimenting the aioli that I used my fork to dab on before each bite.  It is a little strange how they serve the sauce on the side.  But I guess it makes sense because the burger is already so messy.

My messy tray.  Not an easy or glamorous meal to eat.

Unfortunately my patty was a little dry and pretty cold.  It was so large that it barely fit in the small cardboard box they serve it in.  It's a good idea because most of the burgers end up being pretty sloppy with all the ingredients.  I'm surprised Cary's double patty and bacon burger with almost every vegetable possible fit inside.
  

The line took a while to work through and by the time I sat down the whole meal was basically cold. I'm sure once the staff works out all the kinks the line will become more efficient. No potatoes will beat the smush potatoes at umami, but a did enjoy the the crispy skin on the fingerlings. They were just a little bit too oily for my taste.

The restaurant also offers a burger bowl option.  You can get your burger in a salad bowl, without a bun, with all the same options for your combinations. This is great because the restaurant can cater to even more people (those on diets, gluten free, or just not feeling the bun).

The lady sitting next to me ordered
the burger bowl.  When I asked her how
she liked it, she said "it was just ok".

I very carefully filled out my evaluation card, trying to be as critical as possible.  The overall ambiance of the place was great.  No complaints there!  The staff was very friendly, but they obviously still had a few issues to work out.  The bun incident was just an example, but there were a few other times in line where it didn't seem like the employees were communicating efficiently.  When I asked for the sautéed onions the staff member just yelled sautéed onions to the kitchen, I don't think anyone heard.  But at least I still got them on my burger.  I also gave them a low mark on accuracy because of the coleslaw.  I specifically asked for less but the guy piled on more!  The value was pretty good.  Even though this time my burger was free, $10 is a pretty good deal for a burger with anything you want on it.  Definitely cheaper than the counter.

Overall the employees were very friendly and I could tell they were all excited for their first day on the job. Built is a great addition to the restaurant row slowly developing on Figueroa just off campus. I'm positive this place will be a big hit with all of the students!

My evaluation card.

Simmzy's

My friend Katherine and I took a mid-week adventure to Manhattan Beach.  After some quick shopping, we walked on the pier and admired the surfers.  Even though this week has been quite warm (85 degrees in March!), I still couldn't believe those guys were out there in the middle of winter.  Thank the lord for wet suits.

After walking around I finally got to try a restaurant on my wish list! We stopped at Simmzy's, the pub on Manhattan Beach Blvd.  Every time I visit Manhattan this place is always packed! We were seated right away even though it was peak dinner time.  The service was a little slow, but overall I really liked the atmosphere of the place.  Loud, busy, and fun.  Even though the burgers looked great, I was really craving fish for some reason.  I think being by the ocean and the warm weather reminded me of summer, and I wanted something light. 

Sushi grade tuna, cumin-crusted and served
rare, with arugula, mango, avocado, lima
crema, pepitas, and fried chili rings 

Although the Bahn Mi Tuna Sandwich was tempting, I ended up ordering the Cabo Ahi Salad. Katherine was also feeling the nautical vibe and ordered the salmon burger. While we waited for our entrees we shared the sweet potato fries. The fries were almost over cooked.. But I like them crunchy. There's nothing worse than soggy fries. They were served with with a house made aioli and plain old ketchup.
My salad was the perfect size. The greens were fresh and lightly dressed in a "Lima cream" dressing. Topped with avocado, mango, fried chili rings, and pepitas. The fried chili rings could have added a little more kick but overall it was a good combination. The ahi was fresh and served in 3 thick slices. I usually prefer my sashimi sliced thin and more evenly distributed but this wasn't bad.

Salmon Burger

Katherine, also in a fishy mood, ordered the Salmon Burger.  She said it was delicious.  While we ate, we talked about our upcoming trip to Whistler and Seattle for Spring Break.  For the past week we've been tanning in our bikinis in the quad after class.  Our one piece tans have finally started to even out,  and next week we will get to work on our goggle tans!  

Sweet potato fries with sweet
and spicy aioli and ketchup

Simmzy's was great! From now on, this will be my go to restaurant when visiting MB.  I've been to the Manhattan Beach Brewery a few times when we had recruiting weekends, but it was sub par.  MB post was delicious, but out of the price range desired by many of my friends (maybe try it for lunch one day? I head the sandwiches are pretty good. But this pub is perfect after a long day at the beach; next time I will definitely try one of the burgers.

That's Fo-Crazy

Earl Grey Blueberry Fonut with
Vanilla Ice Cream

Here's a short post about a dessert adventure I recently had with some of my swim and dive friends.  Late thursday night we drove to a donut shop called Fonuts near the Grove.  I found this place online and have been dying to try it.  Its a donut shop that bakes/steams their donuts, instead of frying them. Healthier? Maybe.. not sure.  They also have really interesting flavors and some vegan and gluten free options. When we arrived, I ordered the last Earl Grey Blueberry Fonut.  Similar to Diddy Riese and Sprinkles, they offer a sundae special with their homemade ice cream.  With a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top this was a great dessert.  Interestingly, because the donut wasn't fried, it was a lot denser than normal.  It almost had more of a cake like consistency.  The earl grey flavor was a great choice, and the whole blueberry inside moistened the cake.  Not my top dessert choice, but I'm still glad I finally got to try this place out!

Cupcake Cures

When we are sad, we eat cupcakes.  Monday was a rough day.  Both practices were a struggle for most  of the team.   Besides the fact that almost half the team was injured, everyone was exhausted from the two meets, making us all a little irritable/sad/depressed/tired/angry/strugglin'.  In order to lift team spirits, I texted some of the girls to meet me outside the dorm at 8:45pm for an adventure.  We headed to Beverly Hills and arrived at Sprinkles Ice Cream.  Personally, I like this place better than Diddy Reise.  Although it is more expensive, ($6.75 for a sundae!), how could you resist a scoop of ice cream between a cupcake?  The first time I came here I had to wait in line for about 20 min.  Since it was monday night, it wasn't as crowded.  I explained to the girls how only certain flavors were available each night, so you had to choose between the ice cream and cupcakes with the dots by them on the wall.  Here is a picture inside the stylish white store with the ice cream flavors for the day:
I love the inside of the shop.  The white walls make you feel like you are in a dream.  And what dream is better than ice cream and cupcakes?  I ordered the cupcake sundae.  Although they are famous for their red velvet, my favorite ice cream flavor is the cap'n crunch.  I do love cream cheese frosting and chocolate combined, but the caramelized pieces of crunchy cereal in the creamy ice cream satisfy me so well.  I wasn't feeling like a chocolate overdose, so I went with a vanilla cupcake with milk chocolate frosting.  It was a great combination,  Not too overwhelming.

Cupcake Sundae.  Vanilla milk chocolate
cupcake with capn' crunch ice cream.

The girls loved the cupcakes.  After finishing our sundaes we went outside to check out the famous cupcake ATM.  They definitely need to invest in more then one.  The line was about 20 people long, and when each person purchases at least 2 cupcakes, it takes a while.  Also the fact that it only lets you buy one at a time, and then proceeds to show you the delivery process doesn't go well with my lack of patience.  I picked out the chocolate marshmallow cupcake, intending to eat it the next day after practice. But of course, when I got home, I ate it right before bed.  There was no way I could fall asleep knowing it was sitting there, taunting me.  Wasn't my favorite flavor baked by them, the marshmallow inside didn't fulfill my moist cupcake desires.  Hopefully all mondays aren't a struggle like this one, but I definitely wouldn't mind going back to sprinkles whenever I feel like I need some cupcake love.