The Olive

Located at the new Downey Promenade, you will find The Olive. This restaurant is not only beautiful but serves up amazing Mediterranean cuisine. I've only had a few Mediterranean experiences, but nowhere to be on the higher end (except Momed), but this place was extraordinary and I'm pretty impressed.

I would say that everything we had was as made in-house as you could imagine.

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Fresh pita made to order with a side of spicy green crack sauce (it's that ridiculous).

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Perfect brew with a nice froth. I'm a coffee type of gal instead of mimosa.

A little more about the restaurant:

“The Olive’s distinct and unique craft cocktails, created by Carlos Morales, feature the Downy Godfather or Chili Pepino and could easily be found in the best resorts. Comfort staples like babaghanouj, sweet African peppers and wonderful spicy Hummus ride alongside shawarmas, seafood, chicken and steak entrees and specialties including Cornish hens or a mixed grill feast for 6 at a bargain $88. Wraps, soups and a wide variation of salads along with paninis, flatbreads and vegetarian options round out the menu with desserts, Italian sodas, coffee. And, of course, cocktails, high end spirits and aperitifs from the full-service bar are also available.”

8830 Apollo Way Ste 104 Downey, CA 90242

Momed - Atwater Village

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Momed is one of my favorite casual spots to hit up. It's tucked away the residential area within Atwater Village. You would really need to want to come here in order to find it. I've had a few items from the countless times I've been here. Here's what I tried that I haven't introduced before.

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Duck Shawarma

Blistered cherry tomatoes, black mission figs, garlic aioli, arugula, onions, rolled in house-made lavash. Hearty and definitely amazing. I absolutely loved these momo chips. You get a choice of salad or these chips. I highly recommend the chips... I mean... there's already arugula in the wrap. I loved the black mission figs in this wrap. It added another level of texture and sweetness that complimented this succulent duck.

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SHORT RIB FRICASSÉE

braised short rib, roasted fingerling potatoes, caramelized onions, applewood smoked cheddar, arugula, 2-sunny organic eggs, ciabatta.

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Short ribs were tender. Nothing beats a runny egg yolk with a nice hearty bread to scoop it all up. A great fuel starter before hitting the gym or to recover from a hangover. My stomach is grumbling all over again.

3245 Casitas Ave Los Angeles, CA 90039

Farmers Market - The Grove

The Farmers Market at The Grove is one of the main reasons why I make the drive out. Besides the fresh produce and butcher shops, they also have a French gourmet store called Monsieur Marcel. I love stopping by Monsieur Marcel for some shaved prosciutto di parma and other things of course.

I've eaten at many places offered at the Farmers Market. My old go to spot was Pampas Grill for some sirloin cap or picanha. That was my favorite thing to get, but I decided to venture and attempt to try something new.

Here are a few new favorites of mine:

Phil's Deli and Grill

Their french dip is not as the OG Philippe in Chinatown Los Angeles, but it hits the spot if this is something you're craving for.

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Their pastrami sandwich was delicious though. The rye bread was pleasant and not overly powering, with a nice crust.

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Accepts Credit Card *Thumbs Up*

Next Stop: Moishe’s Restaurant

I've heard negative things about this place. A lot of it is service followed by food. From my experience, I've received friendly service from the ladies over the counter. And the food I've tasted, was also delicious.

My go-to is definitely their Lula Kebob. Incredibly moist with loads of flavor.

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Their chicken kebob was good, but not great. Lula is still my favorite, but I wouldn't mind ordering the chicken from time to time.

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I don't have a photo of their baklava, but it's one of the best I've ever had. Made with pistachios. I'm not a total sweets person, but I can eat 2 of these. CASH only so don't forget. Prices are a bit steep for a Farmers Market so be warned.

Enjoy.

Spread Mediterranean Kitchen - DTLA

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Spread is a new restaurant opened in DTLA that serves a fresh idea on Mediterranean food. A group of foodies and I got to sample some of their menu items along with a few cocktails to highlight the concept of this restaurant. Parking was pretty forgiving if you come early enough to get lucky with meters. There are also local lots you can pay for a flat rate that averages $8.

Spread offers lunch that's no more than $11, but also serves dinner that is both casual and sophisticated at the same time. Cocktails you will find at Spread would be no more than $9. They want to make grabbing lunch a necessity and not so much of a burden. It takes them hours to prep the food before it takes just a few minutes to fulfill after your order. But what you have purchased is quality. They want to make the ease of grabbing lunch a less burdensome part of your day, but also a great place to hang out for happy hour and dinners.

Here are just a few items you will find available. As you can see, they have casual items such as a Harissa beef braised wrapped in a freshly made flatbread to a more sophisticated Falafel Hash that I like to it a Falafel "Crab Cake". They have bright dishes such as a watermelon feta salad with a yogurt mint dressing to a Za'atar fried chicken that won't make you fall asleep.

Dinner is proposed to smaller dishes which makes snacking and drinking at the same time that much more fun. Come with a few friends and try a few dishes with cocktails, wine, and beer. Yes, you should have it all.

334 S MAIN STREET, LOS ANGELES, CA 90013

Momed Atwater Village

A good friend of mine, Mr.John Quintus (Hi!) recommended this really awesome restaurant in Atwater Village. Momed (click) has 2 locations, one in Beverly Hills and the other in Atwater Village. I am the hugest fan of that area. I've had my fair share of potato burritos from Tacos Villa Corona picking up a friend of mine every morning with a stench of Vodka. Ain't nothing wrong with that.

But as time moved on, our ideas of life, neighborhoods, the amount of money we have, has changed. Atwater Village has really transformed itself into an upcoming neighborhood.

Going back to the story, my friend knew my deepest obsessions with food and highly recommended this restaurant to me. It took me no time to make a short trip to the neighborhood. The restaurant is a big restaurant in a small little neighborhood, has a modern feel with a very open layout that feels warm, inviting, carefree, and then, time just stops.

3245 Casitas Ave, Ste 120

Los Angeles, CA 90039

You will find Momed snuck in between a few studios and Theatres, literally. Walking up the steps, getting seated, being handed with the menu, I already had my heart set on a dish. And we all know what that's like. There's no changing your mind even though you think to "think about it" and look through the menu, you always end up ordering what you wanted the first time around. 

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Shakshuka

This is my first time having Shakshuka. Shakshuka is a tomato/ragu based with eggs poached in. This Shakshuka was cooked on top of some spinach, which was crusted from the hot cast iron where you will find crispy bits around the edges! I can die. I am in heaven. And the egg? Organic, poached into the sauce. With a dollop of tzatziki sauce. Do NOT forget to ask for their spicy sauce that they also make in house. Wow. That really elevated the dish. The Shakshuka was served with some pita that was also made in-house. I don't believe I've ever had pita that was freshly made, but it was really delicious. The texture of the bread when you rip it apart, you see the hot pockets air out with each tear. I am crying right now thinking I've devoured this beautiful masterpiece and just like that it's gone. Why couldn't the Chinese be the ones to discover this? *LOL*

I know. Really? Bacon and eggs? at a place like this? Well let me stop you there for a second. And that's just a nice way to put it. I'm going to give an example with Chinese people. Because I am Chinese and I can make fun of myself AND my people (sorry dad... and mom... grandma (eeeeeps!) brother? you don't give a sh*t). But if we can't make rice correctly, it's like, wtf is wrong with you? Take that mentality to every cuisine that you try. If you are one of those, I order fried rice, I only order Pad Thai, I only order Carne Asada, I only order Gyro, I only order sushi (but we know that sh*t is California rolls), that mother f*cker we all know, and if you are reading this you should be a foodie and if you are not you are now because you have been blessed. Like, no. But if you are one of the people that does that above, well, you kind of get it... actually. You stick with safe choices for a reason.. right? Because if you can get the basics done right, then you are legit. And feels safe to maybe order that... Roast Duck, or that... Tom yum, or that Suadero, or that engawa (Click engawa).

With that being said. Eggs and Bacon is something that every chef should be able to master. And it was pretty perfect here. The smoked bacon was DELICIOUS. John Wan shared it with me and he could normally eat like... 1.. but he was scarfing all of that DOWN. A good cheap bacon is great when it's super crispy and sometimes, thin. A good quality bacon tastes so much better when it's slightly thicker, a little chewy, BUT crispy on some ends. Why I like bacon that is a little chewy? Because you really taste the pork. You really taste the smoke. The love and everything you can think of that went into it.

And the potatoes were spot on. I really envisioned myself on this place. I really hope that when I do come back, consistency will still be key. A lot of places don't have that. But I feel it in this place.

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Wrecking BALL & Iced Green tea

OK. We had Starbucks before this, hence the lack of caffeine. Normally I would order a cappuccino, but instead I got their Iced Green tea, and John ordered the Wrecking Ball Coffee that is from the San Francisco Bay Area. The iced tea was good. It was light, refreshing, and imaginably sweet if you were to put sugar in mix.

The Wrecking Ball coffee was really good. I enjoyed how light it was. Not full bodied, but with a nice sharp roasty aftertaste. I would definitely have this again when I come back (breakfast or dinner).

By the way. They have happy hour. All I saw was $4 wine. BUT, I am down to come back. So, let me know if you are because I am ready, to try every single thing on their menu.

Give this place a shot when you have time. And if you like it, you can thank me by taking me with you.

Los Angeles. Trust me when I say you are difficult to find a really good place to have breakfast brunch.

Daiisies