Viewing entries tagged
cappuccino

Le Pain Quotidien

August 3, 2016

Le Pain Quotidien (The Daily Bread) is a Belgium cafe serving baked good as well as their known tartines. I came to this restaurant for the first time when I worked a block away. I was immediately hooked on their cappuccinos. During that time, Starbucks was the only coffee shop that I really knew of. But after having a hot cup from Le Pain Quotidien, it opened up my palate to explore different espressos out there. Besides their coffee beans, I also very much enjoy their food. It's simple, but tasty. It's also not heavy like the American traditional breakfast items.

Here are a few breakfast items that we enjoyed during a lovely Sunday brunch.

Sliced bread with a slather of hummus topped with tuna, white beans, diced tomatoes and basil pesto. Refreshing with the brightness of the lemon juice. This is a guiltless pleasure, like most of their dishes.

A nice and fluffly omelette filled with chicken chorizo and cheddar cheese. I like the like greens to lighten up the dish.

It sounds so simple, but everything married beautifully. There's no greater breakfast than having prosciutto. I've been obsessed and have been saying yes to everything prosciutto. The dried figs add a nice texture to the soft bread and prosciutto. I also love the arugula. Arugula pairs extremely well with sweet and savory dishes like this. This tartine was ringing as a top hit at our table.

This wasn't the best quiche I've ever had, but it was still tasty. Served with mixed greens and sliced watermelon radish.

Total for everything was a little over $70 for 4 without tip (only 2 cappuccinos ordered). A little steep, but compensated for good food and good times.

Find a store near YOU:

http://www.lepainquotidien.com/finder/locations/

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Napa Valley Grille

May 3, 2016

After closing down 3 months for a renovation costing a little over $2 million dollars, Napa Valley Grille in Westwood is now reopened. I've never seen the restaurant before the renovations, but as I walked by, I told myself "Wow! This restaurant is beautiful." John reminds me "We are eating here today..."... I wasn't embarrassed but I can't believe that just happened. The restaurant has valet if you prefer, but there's also meter parking available on the streets.

1100 Glendon Avenue, #100 Los Angeles, CA 90024

The restaurant is nothing short of its name. Right when you walk in, you first notice the bar filled with liquor. Then, the beautiful vaulted ceilings with arches and wood beams throughout the warm dining room. As you walk by, the elegant display of wines waiting to be drunk.

Our server Jaryl was great, friendly, and attentive throughout the whole course of our meal.

We started our dinner with 2 appetizers.

Prepared with crispy pancetta, sweet onions, charred tomato, and Tavistock Reserve Chardonnay. The broth was to die for. The Chardonnay was perfectly cooked out leaving a subtle sweetness that marries great with all the ingredients. I also love the utilization of fresh herbs. Must order.

Wagyu Beef, pancetta, fried green tomato, fresh herbs, and romesco sauce. This was excellent. The sharpness of the green tomato complimented the beef and pancetta. I'll be happy eating this everyday.

Love the simplicity of the pickling. I would buy this in a jar if sold in markets.

I am a huge fan of branzino. I love the meatiness and slight sweetness of the fish. Deboned, and cooked with capers, tomato, Romanesco, olive oil, parsley and other fresh herbs. Not show in the photo are a few slices of peeled limes. The fish was stunning and tasted better than it looked. The flavors were simple, but the execution was flawless. This tasted like Spring leaping towards summer. Another must order.

The Lobster ravioli was served with this shrimp, chervil and watermelon salad. Interesting concept, but the flavors worked in this dish. The ingredients were fresh with the play of herbs again. Another leap towards summer with this one.

I am not much of a fan of sweet items, but there are things I can never pass up.

It's not just a baked cookie. It's a baked cookie served with pecan nougatine and salted caramel ice cream. A great cookie with a creamy ice cream. I'm a huge fan of salted caramel ice cream. This does not disappoint.

You have absolutely no idea how delicious this was! The bread pudding was made with brioche, brown sugar sauce, and brûléed marshmallows. Super rich. Super decadent. But high comforting and highly contagious. You can't just have one bite. These were definitely the top desserts on their menu.

Don't forget to pair your desserts with an espresso.

Their Executive Cef Adrian Vela incorporated a lot of fresh ingredients from the local Farmers Market in Santa Monica. Every dish was vibrant with flavor, plated rustically but with elegance.

1100 Glendon Avenue, #100 Los Angeles, CA 90024

Great for any occasion with plenty of space and a few private rooms.

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Intelligentsia - Abbot Kinney

February 14, 2016

To continue on with celebrating John's Birthday, we went to Intelligentsia after our brunch at Gjelina. I find the location in Abbot Kinney much more sophisticated than the one is Pasadena when it comes to flavor. Cappuccinos are always our go-to at a roaster like this. I love the dairy ratio here compared to what I received in Pasadena. I wouldn't say I am a connoisseur, but I am confident to say I am pretty close to one. There were days when we used to have nothing to do but hit up local coffee shops in Los Angeles. Those days of drinking caffeine for fun is something I truly miss... so this was definitely a treat not just for John, but for me as well.

Walking in, you will see a glass filled with baked goods. Go ahead, pick something.

Step up to a barista when you are ready to order and they will be more than happy to get your drink on the way. The smell of fresh ground coffee beans just does something to me that I can't explain. I always find the smell to be intoxicating. I love getting into a car that has the smell of hot coffee sitting in the cup holder. Or that first brew you make when you are trying to get breakfast ready. It's kind of like, potpourri that wakes you up. I love every bit of it.

I like to add a little raw cane sugar to enhance the espresso. Watch it get swallowed up and sucked in like a black hole.

Stir. Love. Enjoy.

1331 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291

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Comoncy - Studio City - Best Breakfast of 2015

November 15, 2015

I got an invitation to visit the new Comoncy Cafe out in Studio City. They have a total of 3 locations: Beverly Hills, Studio City, and Scottsdale Arizona. I was recommended to check the new location since it's larger with more creative innovations on the menu to check out. I would rather head out to Studio City anyways, since LA traffic is never forgivable.

I've never been to Comoncy before, but after seeing their menu, it's something I would check out for a good breakfast. Breakfast is hard to find. Considering how large and populated with restaurants LA county is, it's hard to find that ONE, that can do it all. What I mean by that is, I hate how some cafes serve crappy espresso. Or great coffee, but terrible eggs and bacon. There's never that one place, that I can knock out all birds with one stone. Well Comoncy, I think they've done it.

Best Breakfast of 2015

The spread was pretty simple. And, there are some things that I just can't say no to. John was supportive on pigging out by having another dish to accompany this meal. And, cappuccino is always necessary. Always. At a place like this, it would be a waste to not have espresso. Trust me, it's good.

First thing first. Cappuccino.

Being super stoked about the design, I used one pack of raw cane sugar. Don't be a snob to tell me you drink it straight without sugar. Good for you. But a pack of sugar can really help the notes of the espresso pop. Kind of like putting ice with your whiskey, does that make sense? The espresso was extremely good and better than I expected! Loved how this was something they highly recommended. So good, that we bought some to take home.

A must. I love ordering huevos rancheros, and couldn't keep my eyes off from the menu about it. It's a huge breakfast staple for me, and I assumed it will be good at Comoncy if they had the audacity to put it on their menu! THEY DID NOT FAIL! John was SO sneaky about this too. He took a few big bites, and I had to ask how it tastes before he tells me it's amazing. What a jerk! Like, does he really think I wasn't going to notice half of it missing?! Comoncy rendition of huevors rancheros were : organic eggs over easy, crispy blue corn tortilla, avocado, black beans, and ranchero sauce. Everything was perfect about this dish. I loved the black beans and the contrast it brought to the crispy blue corn tortilla. It wasn't too thick or pasty, but extremely smooth and creamy. The soft over easy eggs with the ranchero, the avocado, and everything all in a bite, made my eyes rolled back. I mean literally I think I went blind for a second. It was like, the huevos rancheros god descended from above and blessed this plate. Super flavorful, but not heavy like the others I've had. I can't say no to this. This is a must when I come back, and something that I recommend to you. Dash some hot sauce, and tell me if you blacked out too.

Their steak sandwich was composed of : Brioche bun, prime sirloin steak, red cabbage slaw, lemon vinaigrette,organic Roma tomato, avocado, and horseradish aioli. Ok, The prime sirloin definitely gives you a run for the money. It was very tender and very flavorful. I had absolutely no trouble at all take perfect bites from this, It may look tiny, but it's loaded with steak and I love how they don't skimp. The brioche bun was fantastic. Flaky and not too eggy like some other ones I've had. I actually love how I could taste the butter in the bun. The lemon vinaigrette is not subtle as well, in the best way I can say it. Everything just married perfectly. Even the tomatoes were freaking delicious. This was one of their many lunch items that they carry. I must come back to devour more.

Baguette, Greek Yogurt, berries and organic maple syrup. I've never had yogurt with french toast, and thought this was another success. Fruits and yogurt with sweet maple syrup. What could possibly sound wrong with that? It was also my first time having french toast with baguette, which I didn't mind. Sometimes, brioche could be too heavy. Literally egg on egg. This was very light, but something I would share. The basil really made this dish pop. It was a little touch, but really made this bright and fresh.

At the end of our meal, I've concluded that this was the best breakfast I've had all year, and seems to stay that way for the rest of 2015. I can't wait to come back, and have more dishes. Though the huevos rancheros is going to be hard to pass up.

With that said, I hope you will find a way to make it out for a taste. Their breakfast is ON POINT along with their espressos. Which, I also highly recommend you getting. The brand is Equator and the beans are "Tigerwalk".

I'm hoping more Comoncy cafes will open more locations, as for now, I and we will have to make our trips. Let me know what you think.

STUDIO CITY : 12265 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604 (323) 391-2096

BEVERLY HILLS : 413 N. Bedford Dr.Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (424) 285-8874

SCOTTSDALE: 7301 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 (480) 361-1339

Happy eatings!

Daisy

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Wine & Dine

Le Pain Quotidien

Napa Valley Grille

Intelligentsia - Abbot Kinney

Comoncy - Studio City - Best Breakfast of 2015