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

Dirt Dog - Los Angeles

One of the things my dad always made when I was growing up was boiled hot dogs. He would literally boil a whole pack of weiners and leave it in the fridge so we would have something to snack on. It wasn't until I was in the 7th grade when I was at Drill Team practice by the park where dirty dogs were sold. Dirty dogs are just hot dogs wrapped with bacon. Sometimes with grilled peppers. But I like mine straight up with a slab of mayonnaise. 

2528 S. Figueroa St. Los Angeles, CA 90007

Dirt Dog does dirty dogs right. All dogs are wrapped with bacon. I've tried a few and can say these are the best I've had when it comes to a sit down restaurant.

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Here we have the elote fries, elote dog (secret menu), their house dog with grilled onions and peppers, patty melt, and their elote corn on a cob.

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Elote Dog

Mexican crema, cotija cheese, chili powder, cilantro. Their links have a nice snap. Ok, there's no good way to review hot dogs without tons of sexual innuendo. So before you say anything, "that's what she said" has already been said by me. 

SO, yes. Their hot dogs were beefy and delicious. Buns are shipped daily from a local baker. I recommend their brioche buns.

House Dog

Their classic house dog comes with a simple bacon thousand island, roasted onions and peppers. Simple, but flavorful and delicious.

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Patty Melt

This was my favorite. Who doesn't want their bacon hot dog topped with french fries, melted cheddar, bacon bits, and a chipotle mayo? This was a flavor bomb. It was just everything that I would want on a hot dog.

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Horchata Ice cream with Churros and fried oreos. After all that food you would think I'll stop. This did it for me. If the dogs didn't put me to sleep, this sure did and I don't regret it. I LOVE fried oreos. The batter did not disappoint. 

I'll definitely be back soon. 

2528 S. Figueroa St. Los Angeles, CA 90007

Belle Belle Cues

New to Chinatown, Belle Belle’s Cue serves authentic Texas style BBQ in the neighborhood of Los Angeles, taking no shortcuts, and using only the finest ingredients. The meats are cooked with Woodfire for an unforgettable taste. Owner Justin Mi is committed to bringing simple, high-quality BBQ with the traditional down-south fixings to the Los Angeles community.

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One of my best friends, Ben Azarraga, joins me for lunch. He makes a great napkin passer for those finger lickin ribs. This photo is not yet to be approved by him, but I'm sure he would appreciate it anyways ;)

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With 5 different house sauces to choose from, my favorite was the Habanero BBQ sauce. If you are a lover of spicy foods, this was definitely tolerable. If you are Ben who cannot eat much spicy foods, do skip (sorry Ben for saying it wasn't spicy haha). His favorite was the honey bbq.

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Spare Ribs - $10 Per 1/2 Lb

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Brisket - $12 Per 1/2 Lb

Pulled Pork - $10 Per 1/2 Lb

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I've never had brisket or BBQ like this in Los Angeles before. I enjoyed the simple smoked flavors without the heavy sauces that normally overpowers the meat. I would love to give this another try again. I recommend coming in a larger group, preferably meat eaters, so you are able to try a little bit of everything. My favorite sides were the pineapple coleslaw & creamed corn.

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Pecan PIe - $4

Wednesday Thru Sunday

11AM to 4PM (or Sold Out)

701 W Cesar E Chavez Ave Los Angeles, CA 90012

323.897.9227 - info@bellebellescue.com

Philippe The Original - Los Angeles

I've been contemplating about LA the past few weeks. I grew up here, so the thought of leaving this place was never something that crossed my mind. I've never lived in a different state or ventured long enough to make somewhere else home. But now that I'm older, being faced with adult situations, you kind of think about things you normally don't. 

I kind of ask frequently what's great about Los Angeles. When family members or a friend who have people coming over different places ask where they should take them, I immediately draw a blank. But the more I'm thinking about it, the more I'm thinking how great LA is. We have all kinds of food for once that is accepted. The culture in LA is such a huge conglomerate where authenticity lives on. If I wanted legit Korean food, I can find it. Same with Mexican, Oaxacan, Japanese, Chinese, Italian, etc. We also have great museums: The Huntington Library, The Getty, MOT (dark, depressing, amazing testimonies). Beaches! We can find snow if we really wanted to. Theme parks. Whatever it is, it's reachable.

I thought about this when I ate at Philippe's. It's been a while since I've been back here. Doing a food blog really pulls you away from spots you frequently visit. Because of that, It's been over a year since I've been back to Philippe's. Read about their history here.

There were no lines when we arrived. Everything still looks the same with the additions of accepting credit cards (FINALLY). Soft wood or hamster bedding, whatever you want to call it, still scattered across the floors. I also go for the same thing. Roast Beef sandwich, half dipped, with a side of coleslaw.

I like to enjoy each bite with a generous dose of spicy mustard. Beware of nostril stings. Cool off with a big for of coleslaw and a bite of that perfectly pickled pickle. Just remember to not die when crossing streets. 

One of the most nostalgic staples of Los Angeles. 

1001 N. Alameda St., Los Angeles, CA, 90012

Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop - Glendale

There are a few Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop's located in SoCal, but the newest one that I am aware of is in Glendale. Being alongside with Shake Shack and Philz coffee on Brand, this street is going to be lit with hungry shoppers since there's not much offerings at the Americana. You can park at the structure located at the Americana for 90 minutes free, or you can cross your finger to find parking behind the restaurant (or front). But, there are plenty of parking arrangements in the area that are either free or affordable.

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They sell all kinds of beverages like infused water, espressos, and protein shakes like this Acai Berry with acai berry puree, strawberries, blueberries, apple and cranberry juices, banana & pure naked protein (great for on the go).

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Build your entree dinner options. Pick a protein and 2 gourmet sides. This is the flat iron steak with baked sweet potato fries with avocado pestp and pomegranate quinoa (they say pomegranate, but it's actually cranberries). 

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Huevos Rancheros served with over easy eggs, refried black beans, chipotle sauce, pico de gallo, avocado & crisp corn tortilla strips. One of my favorite things to order when I'm here.

Check out their menu here.

252 s. brand blvd., glendale, ca 91204