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.

Dinner Date with Dad

Zoe was at a lacrosse game and Mom took LuLu to diving practice.  After Mom texted me saying that Dad and I would be on our own for dinner tonight I knew we were most likely going to go out.  About 20 minutes after my conversation with Mom I was expecting a text from Dad asking where I wanted to go.  Not that my Dad doesn't like to cook, I just knew we would take this opportunity to treat ourselves.  And that we did...

At first we were going to go to one of our favorite date spots, Via Tribunali, the pizza/italian place on Capitol Hill.  Then, right before we left, Dad remembered a great Italian place also on Capitol Hill that he swore was better.  I trusted him and took the keys and drove us downtown.  He said I would be chauffeur for the night because he was exhausted from work.

Carciofi alla Giudia
Fried Artichoke, Pangrattato, Aïoli

Luckily we found parking and walked to Rione XIII, the somewhat new Roman style restaurant by Ethan Stowell.  I also want to try his places, How to Cook a Wolf, and Anchovies and Olives.  The inside of the restaurant is a mix of a pizza place with an urban tapas bar.  The high brick ceilings and open pizza oven give the place a modern, yet cozy feel.  

We started with two small plates, the fried artichoke (Carciofi alla Giudia) and fried risotto (Suppli al Telefono).  Interested in the direct translation of the descriptions on the menu, I typed them into google translate.  The Carciofi translates into "Jewish Artichoke".  When this first came up I actually laughed out loud, thinking that the translator made a mistake.  The dish actually comes from the Roman ghetto where it is served in Jewish restaurants.  Our Jewish artichokes were delicious.  My mom steams artichokes all the time, but I had never had them fried before.  The breading on the outside had a great light but crunchy texture.  The artichokes themselves were very flavorful and fell apart in my mouth.  The aïoli could have had a little bit more complex flavor (basically just tasted like sour cream), but I think that I was just comparing it to my mom's delicious aïoli-like dipping sauce. She's adds Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and dried tarragon to spice it up.     

Suppli al Telefono are traditional Roman fried rice balls. Usually containing risotto, the can be served with or without tomato sauce.  Our 3 risotto balls came out of the kitchen piping hot.  As we broke into them with our forks, mozzarella oozed out and stretched in longs strands as we tried to transfer plates.  The breading was the same coating on the artichokes.  They kind of tasted like sweet mac n' cheese.  Although the menu says they are served in a beef ragu, I didn't even notice the meat in the dish.  The tomato sauce was rich and mouth watering.  I was not a huge fan of the dish overall, but my dad really liked it.  I'm not one for really heavy appetizers, I just like things to

Suppli al Telefono

Fried Risotto, Beef Ragu,

Mozzarella

whet my palate.  My favorite part of the dish was definitely the buffalo mozzarella.  I noticed on the menu they had a whole section devoted to tasting mozzarella.  I've seen my fair share of cheese tasting boards, but never whole section on a menu specializing in one type..  

For our main dish we went with the simple Margherita pizza.  My dad wanted to try the asparagus one.  It sounded good at first, until I noticed that it had fried eggs on it.  Personally, I only like eggs for breakfast, not on my burgers, pizzas, or other dishes.  The wait was a little long for a pizza that takes 60 seconds to cook in a wood burning oven, but it was worth it.  The crust was fluffy and slightly chewy.  Creamy and rich mozzarella was matched with the sweet tomato sauce.  My favorite part was the chili oil drizzled on top.  Although pizza is usually greasy enough on its own, this addition made it a pizza worth remembering.  The hot chili oil added a burst of flavor to every bite.    

Margherita Pizza
Buffalo Mozzarella, Tomato, Basil

I like how you can see my Dad already grabbing his stomach anxiously waiting to dig in. 

I wouldn't go as far and say that this pizza is up to par with Tutta Bella, my favorite Pizzeria of all time, but it is definitely up there.  I would love to go back to Rioni XIII and try their homemade pastas.  My meal here surpassed Serafina's, which I visited just earlier this week.  While walking back to the car, Dad and I passed a place crowded with people called Smith.  We looked at the menu and the Chicken and Waffles immediately caught my eye.  I'll definitely be making a trip back to Capitol Hill soon!

800 Degrees

After adventures in Seattle, Whistler, Los Angeles, and Hawaii, winter break slowly comes to an end.  I enjoyed my vacation at home and skiing in Whistler with the family, and my hours of training at SC and the University of Hawaii, but back to school it is!  After a long and uncomfortable plane ride I was greeted in my freshly cleaned apartment by my roommate Kate and her mom.  After unpacking, showering and doing some laundry, they generously invited me out to dinner with them.  It has almost become a ritual, as one of our parents comes to visit, they treat my roommates and myself out for a nice meal.  Knowing that I am the "restaurant connoisseur" of the group, they asked me for a recommendation.  They definitely weren't looking for anywhere too fancy, but I still took this opportunity to cross off a place from my wish list.

Kate, Andrea, and I at 800 Degrees!

I take my Urbanspoon account very seriously.  Along with being sure to check into all the restaurants I visit in order to keep my "dine line" up to date, I also keep a wish list.  That way I can remember all of the places I want to try.  Whether reading about them on blogs, hearing reviews, or simply walking past them on any of my adventures, I am always sure to add them to my list.  

I suggested 800 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria in Westwood.  Although we would be crossing into Bruin Territory, the positive reviews I've read on yelp and other blogs influenced me to take the risk.  Besides my diving meets and other sporting events, I will also venture into UCLA for one other foodie addiction, Diddy Reise.  The ice cream cookie sandwiches are too good to pass up.
  

Although I have visited the area several times before, my adventures have always led me to the Diddy Reise side of town.  After parking and walking to the restaurant, I noticed much more upscale vibe to Westwood.  Passing Palomino and other nice restaurants made me want to come back and try out some of the other places Westwood has to offer.  The Glendon Bar and Kitchen particularly caught my eye.  Add to wish list: Check.

The pizza line after we sat down.

Gorgonzola Salad
Butter lettuce, walnuts, dried cranberries

Tartufo
Truffle cheese, roasted
mushrooms, caramelized
garlic, and arugula.

Luckily when we arrived there wasn't much of a line and the four of us were able to walk straight up to the pizza bar.  We started by ordering two of the speciality pies.  No sense in making our own, since the professionals know their ingredients the best.  I ordered the Tartufo (a pizza without marinara sauce) and the Vege.  Andrea and Kate also ordered the Carne, but substituted broccolini for the pepperoni.
After checking out the "800 degrees" wood burning pizza oven, we were able for find a table large enough and wait for our pizzas.  To start, we shared the Gorgonzola Salad.  Making sure that there were no strawberries in the dressing (Andrea is allergic), we enjoyed the light and crispy salad.  I especially liked the sweetness of the cranberries and their complements to the cheese.The pizzas were out of the oven within minutes.

Vege
Mushrooms, artichokes, broccolini.

Kates leftover crust.
I think its the best part!

The first slice I tried was the Vege.  Pretty plain tasting, but I loved the thin crust and the sauce to cheese ratio.  I believe those are the two most important factors in any pie.  The crust should be thin, light and crunchy.  And the sauce should have a distinct taste and definitely overpower the cheese.  Not a big fan of Dominos marinara with globs of cheese on top.  Cheese should be used like salt, just to add flavor.  The Tartufo was my favorite dish of the meal.  I love the truffle cheese, and the way that the mushrooms soak up the flavor from the garlic and onions.
Overall the pizza selection was great.  The crust had that burnt flavor that I love and the toppings were unique.  In my opinion, I liked the truffle pizza better at Stella Rosa on Main Street, but we had a great time!     

Promenade and Pizza

Spinach and Crispy Purple Kale Salad.
pecorino romano, medjool dates, shaved
radishes, mustard vinaigrette.

After the meet, and my mom visited her parents in the valley, we decided to spend our afternoon shopping (once again).  She loves to treat me when she visits because I don't get to see her much anymore!  We headed west to Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica.  I like Third Street a lot more than The Grove because there are a lot more options, and its close to the beach.  After going to Victoria's Secret we looked around in Forever 21 (where I finally found my sweater).  After an hour or two we decided it was time for dinner.  The decision was between Umami and Stella Rossa Pizza Bar, both places we visited last time she was here in the summer.  Because I had just been to Umami the other week, I advocated for some pizza.  After a short 3 minute drive, we made our way from the shopping center to Main Street.  We were seated at the bar in the middle of the restaurant immediately.  I'm a big fan of the island style bar, it has a modern feel and breaks up the room nicely.  Our waitress/bartender was pregnant, which I thought was pretty funny.  My mom ordered a glass of wine and we decided to start with a salad.  I was bummed because they didn't have the same arugula and strawberry salad that I had over the summer.  I specially remember thinking it was delicious.  Must just be a summer menu item.  We went with the only salad on the menu that didn't contain bacon or eggs-- the Spinach and Crispy Kale Salad. Even though we had a kale appetizer just the other night, we thought it would compliment our pizza well.  Even though the mustard vinaigrette was drizzled on very sparsely, it complimented the saltiness from the pecorino.  Once again, my hunger led me to start eating before I was about to snap a picture.  The leaves were piled high in a nice dome like structure.

Shaved Mushroom (White Pizza)
gruyere, melted onions, black truffle,
torn parsley, thyme.

Oven-Roasted Tomato
fresh mozzarella, roasted
garlic, sweet basil.

Now its pizza time.  I already walked into the restaurant with a special pie on my mind.  I ordered it last time and was entranced by the salty truffle aroma.  My eye was on the Shaved Mushroom.  I almost never order pizza's without marinara sauce, but this is definitely an exception.  The sweetness of the onions combined with the black truffle and rosemary will knock your socks off.  Truffle oil is something I have come to cherish in the past year or so, not really being exposed to it when I was younger.  Stella Rossa has the option to order their pizzas "Thin Slim" style, which is almost like a flatbread cracker, or just on their normal dough.  Because their normal dough is already light, thin, and crunchy, we decided to stick with that.  Last time I had the "Thin Slim", and although it was good, it was definitely "cracker-like".

We also ordered the Oven-Roasted Tomato. We decided to go for this one instead of plain old margherita.  The big sweet slices of tomato on top made it a little more original.  It was super saucy, just the way I like it, and a perfect compliment to the saltiness of the Shaved Mushroom.  I ate a total of 7 slices of pizza. Probably my new record (I think it was 6 at Tutta Bella, my favorite place in Seattle).

Apple Oatmeal Cookie
with vanilla ice cream
(The size of my fist)

For dessert, we walked into the entry hall where the Pizza bar is connected to the M Street Kitchen.  There is a small cafe (The M Street Bakery) that carries some dishes to go, and most importantly, cookies!  I decided to order the apple oatmeal cookie (my apple crisp craving was getting to me).  And I of course had a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.  The other option was peppermint, which would have gone nicely with all the chocolate chip options, but I wasn't really in the mood for chocolate.  The cookie sundae was huge! But warm and dense, just what I needed after my seven slices of pizza.  My mom ordered the chocolate chip with fleur de sel.  That was my second choice.  The salt wasn't too overpowering, but it still had almost a salted caramel taste to it.  The night was filled with shopping, pizza, and cookies with ice cream, basically all you could ask for.  

Gjelina with GuGu

GuGu and I before going out one night.

Guilana (GuGu) is one of my close friends on the tennis team.  This week she asked if I could give her a ride to Santa Monica for an appointment.  Luckily, midterm season was finally over, so tuesday quickly turned into an adventure.  After finishing up some of her business, near the Third Street Promenade, we decided to get dinner because traffic on the 10 was going to be horrible either way.  Although both of us weren't dressed to attend a 5 five star restaurant (SC workout gear), we were craving some quality food.  Actual Gjelina, was a little out of the price range for our casual tuesday night, but that didn't mean we couldn't enjoy some of the delicious food the iconic restaurant has to offer.
I have been to Gjelina before, once with my family and some friends for dinner.  Completely loved all of the small side dishes we shared with the table.  I believe I ordered a lamb dish for my entree, thinking it would taste somewhat like my mom's baby lamb chops (don't know what I was thinking).

Can see recipe here: http://gailsgalley.blogspot.com/2012/10/best-lil-lamb-chops.html  Although the dish was still delicious, it was a little bit to gamey tasting for me.  I will definitely have to go back and try again, which I am sure I will blog about in the future.  They did have some of the best apple pie I have ever tasted.  I'm pretty sure I ate more than half of my sister LuLu's dessert.
Gjelina Take Away is a restaurant I have visited many times.  With its easy access, somewhat quick service (when there's no line) and consistent delicious options, it is always my go-to on Abbott Kinney. For breakfast I had had the berry scones (moist, soft, but still filling) and lunch I have tried several of the side salads (much better and less oily than offered by Lemonade on campus).  I have also tried a blackened fish sandwich on brioche, that no longer seems to be on the menu, but it melted in my mouth.

GuGu and I were feeling some pizza, so we went with our gut instinct.  I ordered the Margherita Funghi (even though I'm not that huge of a mushroom fan, I love how veggies soak up all the flavors of the sauce on a pizza).  Gugu wanted the spinach pizza, but unfortunately they were out of it for the night, so she just went for the Margherita.

Margherita Funghi.  Three
types of mushrooms,
pomodoro sauce, basil,
mozzarella, sea salt, olive
oil, dried oregano.  

While we waited for our pies, Gugu and I discussed a future business plan. With her love of sweets (she probably has the biggest sweet tooth I have ever come across.  Mad props Gugu), she eventually wants to open up her own candy store or sweet shop of some sort.  As for naming it, she claims that she came up with GuGu's Candy Bar before Dylan Lauren, but I don't think that is going to fly.  Besides the naming factor, if I ever open my own restaurant, we talked about how we could combine venues and she could own the pastry shop or milkshake bar next door, which would also cater the deserts to my place.  We did think its was funny how "Gjelina" is basically a combination of our two names (Giuliana and Celia).  Maybe another inspiration?

My pizza was hot out of the wood burning oven.  And boy do I love that taste of thin burnt crust.  The mushrooms perfectly soaked up the spice of the pomodoro sauce and the just the right amount of mozzarella was placed on top (there should always be more sauce then cheese, can't stand Dominos).  I got a little excited and took a bite before I could get my camera out. Can't even really tell in the picture though.

I love sitting outside on the crates next to the restaurant on the side of the street.  Sitting under the leaf canopy and watching all the crowds walk past really gives a good illustration of the feel to Abbott Kinney.  After we finished our pizzas, in about 5 minutes, we started heading back to the car.  Even though Giuliana had made a bet with her roommate that she could resist sweets for a whole week, I convinced her otherwise.  Once we walked into N'ice cream, it really didn't take too much convincing.

Biscotti Gelato

N'ice cream is great because it is all organic homemade gelato and sorbet to with unique flavors.  Even though I love ice cream, gelato is better for you because it is made with more milk instead of just cream.  N'ice uses organic milk and their gelato is a little lighter than usual because they use all natural ingredients and less sugar.  Giuliana was quick to ask to sample several of the more chocolately flavors.  Her choice came down to chocolate hazelnut and hazelnut chip.  She said she went with the chip because the chocolate chips really added to the texture.  I wanted to try to the apple pie gelato, which was very fresh tasting, but after trying her flavors I was craving some chocolate too.  I ordered my usual flavor from there, the Biscotti.  Biscotti is actually one of my favorite cookies. I will never turn down a soft freshly baked oatmeal chocolate chip cookie, but there is something about a classic tea cookie that always gets to me.  I love dunking them in hot chocolate, or my favorite tea (the Market Spice Cinnamon Orange from Pike Place Market).  The biscotti flavor of the gelato mirrors a chocolate chip biscotti dipped in hot chocolate and then frozen.  Still having that chewy taste.  I even found a chunk of a cookie in my cone (it was probably the highlight of the treat).

Overall GuGu and I had a great time on our tuesday night adventure.  Unfortunately we had to head back to campus by 8, me for accounting tutoring and she was meeting some friends to study.  We will definitely have to go on another sweet escapade soon.  (Possibly Sprinkles cupcakes again?)