The Hart and the Hunter

Butter Biscuits & Condiments and Marinated Olives

Last weekend, I checked out The Hart and the Hunter in the Palihotel on Melrose. The food had a rustic feel with Southern soul, and wowed our party of three. The highlight for me was sharing a pre-dinner bottle of wine (purchased from the hotel's coat closet in the lobby) alongside the restaurant's can't-miss Butter Biscuits, all enjoyed outside in the Hotel's courtyard. We also loved our other shared plates: Brussels Sprouts, Kale Salad, Shrimp & Grits and Hanger Steak. 

Looking forward to my next trip to this neighborhood favorite! 

 

Hike Heaton Flats Trail

Last weekend, three of us hiked Heaton Flats Trail in Angeles National Forest, just north of Los Angeles (about an hour away from West Hollywood without traffic). This 6-mile hike is a steady elevation climb, offering great views and a great leg-burn. From the same trailhead, there are also 3.6 mile and 15 mile options depending on how adventurous you're feeling. This hike is well worth the trip! Check here for a more thorough terrain description and directions.   

Waterloo & City

A friend from out-of-town and I enjoyed a great dinner at this gastropub in Culver City last Friday night. Even though it was raining, we kept cozy on their covered patio, under the heaters in what was quite the November-in-LA experience for two Midwest natives. We barely scratched the surface of their varied food and drink menu (awesome looking cocktails and affordable, good wine...yes please!). I enjoyed every bite of the smaller plates we shared, and I'm looking forward to going back for the entrees! 

Salmon Tartar Special

Broccolini, Garlic, Chili...a pleasant spice! 

Wild Mushroom Pizza, Smoked Mozzarella, Truffle Oil
(that's right...TRUFFLE OIL)

A New Hike: Topanga State Park Parker Mesa Overlook

View from Parker Mesa Overlook

A couple weekends ago I did my favorite LA hike to-date: Topanga State Park's Parker Mesa trail. A rolling 3 miles each way, the trail is quite user-friendly and leads to the Parker Mesa Overlook, which is the most beautiful view of LA I have seen yet! The hike in total took us about 2-2.5 hours (including time spent on all these photos and soaking in the gorgeous sights).

Directions: From the Topanga State Park parking lot off Entrada Road, begin at the obvious trail head. You'll walk ~1/4 mile before you see a sign indicating the Parker Mesa overlook to the right. GO THERE!



Tips: Bring water, watch out for mountain bikers.

Papilles Bistro

Had an incredible dinner out with friends this weekend at Papilles Bistro in Hollywood. They serve ingredient-focused, simply delicious French food. With a $38 prix-fixe menu, we got to try a little bit of each thing, including a of wine I snagged from the excellent retail shelf collection.

The menu changes nearly every week, but here is what we enjoyed:

Beef tongue, roast plum and fig.
Citrus cured prawn, white peach, tarragon vanilla vinaigrette.
-
Hanger steak au poivre, squash, tomatoes.
Monchong, artichokes barigoule, jus.
-
Apple Tatin and Cheese

The Sycamore Kitchen

Cutting into our "appetizer" :)

Salted Caramel Pecan Bobka Roll
TO DIE FOR.

Looking for a great meal/pastry this weekend? Check out The Sycamore Kitchen (under the same ownership as the upscale dinner restaurant, Hatfield's). I recently enjoyed a delicious lunch there (pictures below!) Standing in line to order in front of the gorgeous pastries makes saying no to a sweet dessert (or appetizer in my case) impossible. I highly recommend all dishes below, but this seems like the kind of place where it is hard to go wrong with any order. Hope you'll have the chance to check it out and pass on your favorites!

Soup of the Day:
Roasted Red Pepper Gazpacho

Mediterranean Chicken Salad
(one of the most popular items according
to our barista) 

Chicken Sandwich-
great bread, fresh tomato!

Escuela Taqueria

I've recently been very excited about these BYOB restaurant discoveries in my neighborhood. Escuela Taqueria serves inventive tacos in pairs, like those we tried: Branzino, Pork Belly, Baby Back Ribs and their Lobster Special in addition to the remarkable home-made chips with salsa and guacamole. Without exaggeration, I've never had tortilla chips or churros as good as they make them!

My tips if you check it out? Don't miss the Baby Back Ribs, chips and guac, or churros (and make sure you look up at the ceiling). I'm now excited to try out the next-door brother restaurant La Otra Escuela Taqueria, which has some more composed dishes and is also BYOB.  

Digging in to homemade chips and salsa!

Crispy skin-on branzino, cabbage slaw, and chipotle creme fraiche

Baby back ribs, thai  sweet and sour  chili,  cabbage

Fresh Pick of the Week: Fresh Dates

You may be used to seeing dried dates available in grocery stores year-round. These sundried, sweet and caramelized versions are in the tamr stage (meaning ripe and sundried).  Now is the short harvest season for dates, meaning you can enjoy   fresh dates from Southern California or Arizona farmers markets in their ripe, sweet and crunchy khalal stage. I tasted my first fresh date a few days ago (a gift from a co-worker!) It resembled and crunched like a miniature apple and was quite delicious! If you live in Southern California or Arizona, go out and grab some while you can at your local farmer's market over the next few weeks.

Outdoor Movie Picnic

This past weekend I headed to Hollywood Cemetery's outdoor movie. A group of us grabbed sandwiches from Mendocino Farms, some of LA's best beer, and some blankets to join tons of fellow movie watchers. It was the perfect summer way to enjoy good company, tasty food and drinks, and a movie.

Interested in checking it out? Get advanced tickets and a parking pass to avoid the long line. Get there as early as you can to get a good view of the film. 

Food Fair by Diego

Sides:
Tomato Salad-simple, full of fresh basil flavor
Roasted Beets-our server's suggestion

Al Fresco Pizza:
Sauce-less with Mozzarella, Prosciutto, Arugula, Roasted Garlic
and an AMAZINGLY crispy crust

 Delicious sides to share, crispy crust fresh pizza, $10 bill per person...I'll take it! Food Fair by Diego was perfect for a weeknight BYOB girls' date. The sandwiches and menu entrees also looked (and smelled) worth-trying, so this is definitely one I will repeat. 

Racion Restaurant-Pasadena

Last weekend I stumbled upon this gem in Old Town Pasadena. Racion serves Spanish style tapas with Spanish wines, all delicious and well worth the trip to Pasadena. This competes for the best restaurant I have been to since moving to Los Angeles! With food to share that is to die for and friendly yet classy service, Racion is a perfect spot for a date night or an evening with close friends. Next time, I'm looking forward to checking out their outdoor patio seating :) 

Here's what I enjoyed on my date night to Racion (in addition to the not-pictured bottle of Temperanillo!): 

Amuse-Bouche:
Parmesan Crisp w/ Blueberry and Goat Cheese

Salted Cod Fritters (front)
Beef Tongue Crostini (back)

Roasted Vegetables w/ UNBELIEVABLE Garlic Sauce(we almost licked the plate!) 

Squid Ink Pasta
with Mussels and Poached Egg 

Dessert and (delicious) Coffee:
Pound Cake with Fresh Whipped Cream
and Stone Fruit (seasonal fruit?! yes please!)

Look Where We Hiked Last Weekend! Griffith Park

This past weekend, I visited Griffith Park for the first time. It is full of walking and hiking trails as well as the beautiful Observatory and amazing views of Los Angeles. I'm no photographer but decided the pictures are better than any description I could give :)

Joshua Tree

I started this past Memorial Day weekend with a day trip to Joshua Tree National Park for a hike. I never realized how unbelievably gorgeous the desert really is (my pictures do NOT do it justice, so you'll have to make time for a visit). Having just moved to the LA area from NYC, I'm immensely looking forward to the ease and frequency with which these outdoors adventures can occur.

Weekend hikes have been one of my favorite activities on past trips to Southern California. They're a terrific way to enjoy nature, friends, and are a fun way to burn some calories. I'm no hiking expert, so if there's anyone out there with local tips, please share! Next trip to Joshua Tree may include camping and/or bike ride through the park. I will definitely be back for more!

Urth Caffe

I paid a bit more for lunch at this popular cafe than I'd hoped. But my recent day of lunch and studying at Urth in West Hollywood was delicious and the outdoor pick-me-up I needed. The cost can likely be attributed though to high quality, organic ingredients...and the chance of bumping into a celeb. I'm the kind of person that would rather spend a bit more for something delicious and fresh, than a bit less for something that leaves me groggy all afternoon. The cranberry walnut bread with organic butter that came with my Urth Farmers Salad was a tasty treat as well. And, as always, delicious iced coffee is the key to my heart! Will definitely be back for lunch on their patio in the weeks to come.

Escondito Falls

This past weekend I went on a "hike" through Malibu's Escondito Falls. While the first two legs offered a rigorous but novice hiking experience, I will go ahead and call the third and final leg an all-out boulder climb (and I'm NEVER one to exaggerate). With shaky legs, we summitted the cliff for a beautiful view of the waterfall beneath and the Pacific Ocean. The next day, I felt not only accomplished, but general body soreness--a hurt-so-good kind of feeling. Not surprising given that just 30 minutes of rock climbing burns nearly 400 calories. If you're not up for the last leg, the view of the second waterfall is still worth the trek.

Climbing out of this cave required advanced shimmying technique.

Showdown

VS. 

After a week in LA, here's the summary:

Wins for LA=avocados, fresh produce, cheap wine, sunshine, Lazy Ox Canteen, Lemonade in Venice.

Wins for NYC=last call later than 11pm, no driving, people cross the street when they want, corner delis