French Opulence

Pictures from: http://www.coolhunting.com/images/Bottega-Louie_0.jpg, http://resources.zagat.com/img/buzz/20090428_la_bottega_louie_CT.jpg, http://bottegalouie.blogspot.com/2010/04/torpedo-takes-off.html, https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZBEEo0MIWPoRGKXqGIHPcyC2rUtg5w_HdCGzl3wdMcOqQ97iO7Q5lneWFw_t0pJgkE4J4154qHe1AMxeTjP1WWJwwS51x5Nc5CSX2NeyosHMV6opjKUNrTiWbeXedAAcUP2d8nRioBg/s400/BOTTEGA_LOUIE_MACARONS.jpg

Today was quite the adventure! We left for downtown a little after eleven. My culinary partner and I arrived at our destination, Bottega Louie off of South Grand in less than ten minutes. The easiest place to park is the lost next door off of Grand, it's a $5 flat rate lot. The restaurant is gorgeous both inside and out. You cannot miss it, it is a large white marble tile building with GOLD letters that spell out Bottega Louie across the top of the restaurant. We walked through the large glass door and realized, we were not going to be eating right away. The market (sandwiches, cheeses, macaroons) was buzzing, the bar was completely full, and the gigantic dining area was completely full as well. It took a few minutes with the sea of people to see where it was that we needed to go to request a table (it's the large Napoleon like desk past the bar towards the wood-fire pizza ovens). We were told 25 minutes, so we decided to go for a walk. The walk was relaxing. I enjoyed the architecture that downtown LA has to offer, especially the older hotels that are now apartment buildings. We got back and were seated right away, one table away from a large picture frame window.

I ordered the Torpedo sandwich, which is basically an Italian sub with homemade potato chips and an iced tea of course. The iced tea came with your choice of liquid sugar, an orange slice, a lime slice, and a slice of lemon all presented uniquely on a little white plate. A few minutes later, a server also, brought over a cup of butter and strawberry jam, as well as a small white paper bag. Inside of the bag were two slices of bread. Delicious!

Lunch arrived (the service was a little slow, but that's due to the large volume of clientele--which was fine because I had great company) and it was a feast for the eyes. My sandwich was literally a torpedo, it was huge and required a fork and knife. I cannot tell you how wonderful it was! My tastebuds were more than thrilled. My dining partner had the salad trio which came with a toasted bagel, it seemed to be a popular entree, since most of the people seated near us had ordered the trio as well.

I highly recommend you check out Bottega Louie. Not only is it incredibly beautiful inside (it's like stepping into another world), but the food is beyond exceptional. You might have to wait quite a while, but it's worth the wait, and you can always go explore downtown while you wait.

Off to another adventure,

LA Girl

Cupcakes

Image from: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvVQzUmDPhlkpv-IPhf33FWBcBcAUk0VNsYgDF_VCPBA4xUG4E7FdwlW-k_t95-ufPQmDLtdgF44xWQobr-JSMSZGnM-k7sTZkxImScj7fQlL32wEKzb04pYei-k77sJog30EsdnCqneQ/s320/cupcake12.jpg

Saying that I love cupcakes...is an understatement. Recently, I tried to get a few from Sprinkles and it was packed, I mean 35 people out the door packed. Since I was not in the mood to wait in line, I ventured over to Bristol Farms and got a strawberry cupcake as well as a German chocolate cupcake. Both very delicious. The strawberry cupcake was definitely fresher than the German chocolate one. They definitely are not Sprinkles, however, they are tasty and worth trying.

Off to the Farmer's Market,

LA Girl

Old Time Hollywood

Last night I went on a little adventure with my mom and step-dad. There is something about Hollywood, (LA in general) that captivates me. Everywhere I look, I see something odd or unique. For instance, I had a drag queen stare me down, yes stare me down. I've never had this happen before... As I was getting out of the car, I looked up and saw an overly made up "woman" glaring at me. I wanted to compliment her on her flashy outfit and purple sparkly lip-gloss, but refrained from doing so. I think maybe she thought I was competition..? She was with an older gentleman, who obviously had no clue that who he was with, was in all actuality a man.

Since it was getting dark, and we were all hungry we decided to go to an old Hollywood staple (est. 1949), Miceli's. My step-dad has been coming here since he was a child, and I have been here at least three times over the years. It's located in a little old brick building that is off a side street off of Hollywood Blvd., past the Pantages and the Museum of Death (which I kind of want to google). Once you grab the handle to the front door, you see a sign "No cellular devices". I admit, this seems odd, being that we are in a smart/cell phone era, however, I am partial to the resistance to technology stance for an hour or so. It makes you feel like you are back in the days before cell phones, when this place was booming with celebs.

The interior of Miceli's is a feast for the eyes. It's old Hollywood, baby, it's the type of place Frank Sinatra would frequent. It is dimly lit, lots of red table cloths, a bar, an indoor balcony seating area, dark wood, oh, and ancient waiters, that have been there since the place opened. All of these details add to the places rustic charm.

Miceli's prides itself on top-knotch pizza and pasta and believe me, they deliver. In the past, I have had the antipasto salad, however, this time I opted for Aunt Angie's beef lasagna, which was very beefy, and very good. We also split a Miceli's special pizza, which had peppers, onions, sausage, pepperoni, and olives. The meal was fantastic, and I hope to go back soon!

Off to another adventure,

LA Girl

Seafood

Dinner at Captain Jacks in Sunset Beach is always AMAZING. The ambiance is incredible with the large fish tanks, the location (right on the water), the nautical theme throughout, and of course the friendly service. I had the charbroiled swordfish and a baked potato. The baked potato was HUGE, abnormally large, the type that should win a blue ribbon at a local fair! The ginormous starch/vegetable came with butter, sour cream, and green onions instead of chives. Perfection! The dinner came with a nice salad that had cherry tomatoes, red cabbage, and carrots. For dessert, we split a piece of mud pie. I would like to say that dessert was the best part, but to be totally honest, I can never decide which part is best, because each part of the meal is equally tasty!

Captain Jacks is a great place for celebratory dinners--since it is a tad pricey. However, if you split a meal, it's still pricey but much more affordable compared to ordering two individual meals. :)

The Lab

Photo Courtesy of the Daily Trojan http://dailytrojan.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/news-the-lab-by-Mike-Leebw.jpg


So last night was a reunion of sorts. My friend Erica, who graduates with us this Spring, but is busy being a career woman at the moment, met up with us at The Lab off of Figueroa for dinner. We arrived at around 7:30 and it was packed. The hostess handed us three clipboards and then told us to sit wherever we could find three seats. So we ventured over to a table that had two other people seated at the other end (it's like family style seating). We sat down and looked over the menu and then realized that the lights from the ceiling that were directly over our side of the table were a little low. Needless to say, it felt like we were going to be having some type of medical examination. So, we moved to the long booth/table and chairs along the far wall. Much better!
The interior is so cool. Marble like tables, metal chairs, long velvet lounge (banquet), pillows, long white tile bar, you can see the communal sinks lit up in the bathroom from the main dining hall. It almost has the feel of a Hollywood night club. Our friendly waitress came over and asked for our drink orders, so I ordered the usual, an iced tea, and it was yummy! A few minutes later, we all placed our orders, 2 chicken quesadillas for the girlies, and one rosemary chicken club sandwich for me. Our dinners arrived after a little while, and we were all pleasantly surprised. My sandwich was heavenly. The rosemary chicken was jam packed with flavor and there was a pesto-mayo combo spread on the soft bread. Delicious. The meal came with shoestring french fries which were equally exceptional.
After great conversation and lots of laughs later we paid our bill which was only $36 with tip and one beer. So not bad at all, and great for a college student's budget.
One piece of advice is, definitely take the Campus Cruiser, because valet parking your car at the Radisson (which is your only option) is $8!

Off to another adventure,

LA Girl

Santa Moncia by Day, Santa Monica by Night

Alright...back to the restaurant stuff! Yesterday, I celebrated my birthday with a nice lunch at the Pacific Dining Car off of Wilshire and Arizona (I think). I did not know what to really expect, but I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. The interior is quite nice, a little rustic looking. Beautiful wall papers and leather booths. The pricing is a bit on the high side. The ice tea, which you should know by now is my drug of choice, was sooooooooooooo good! I started off my meal by splitting the lobster cakes appetizer with my mother, and I have to say, they were filled with plenty of REAL lobster. After the delicious lobster cakes, came my Chinese chicken salad which contained grilled chicken, crispy noodles, and sesame seeds. The dressing was nice and light and definitely not over powering.

Since dinner reservations at The Lobster were set for 5:30, we decided to walk around the 3rd Street Promenade and kill some time. To be totally honest, I am not a big fan of the promenade. It's nice and all and great for people watching, but I don't know, once or twice is enough. As we were returning to our parking structure, we saw (here's a name drop) Val Kilmer get out of his red Chevy Malibu. He looks so different now with the long hair, and older exterior. But I guess we all have to grow up and age at some point, right?

With an hour left before our dinner reservations, we made our way over to the Georgian Hotel off of Ocean Ave. The hotel was first opened in 1933, and has the charm of an old Miami hotel, but more unique. We ordered a few drinks at the bar that is located in the lobby (they have dinner downstairs) and then sat out on the porch/patio, which has views of the ocean. There is not much to see inside, however, if you are fascinated by architecture, then you will love this building.

Finally, we made it over to The Lobster, which has stunning views of the pier and Malibu. I ordered the Mahi Mahi which came on a bed of brown rice with almonds, teriyaki sauce, green beans, and shitake mushrooms. Hands down, this was one of the best meals of my life!

We split the Blackberry Cobbler for dessert and then left for home.

Another great day and night in L.A.,

LA Girl

Tomorrow...

Is the big day.. The itinerary is as follows: lunch at the Pacific Dining Car, 3rd St. Promenade, Tea at the Georgian Hotel, and dinner at the Lobster. Can't wait for this adventure!