Harvest of the Season

I met Bernadette Low (@Eatlikeabosslady) a few months ago after seeing her at a few foodie events we were both attending. It didn't take long before we met and just fell in love with each others energy. When I found out she's doing a collaboration with a few others (Bernadette Vanek and Evi Aki) to host a pop up dinner, I had nothing but excitement and full support for her. Harvest of the Season is basically "The Last Summer Dinner" highlighting the local produce of the long California summer, sourced from Santa Monica and Hollywood farmer's markets.

The theme of Harvest of the Season was strong and very visible by the displays visioned by Bernadett Vanek. It was gorgeous and felt like an elegant wedding during Spring. The cooking and designs was arranged by Chef Bernadett Vanek (@born.under.the.sun). Bernadett Vanek is a chef, food stylist, and food photographer residing in Pasadena, California. Her farm to table cooking has a strong European influence that celebrates local, seasonal produce and supports sustainable farming and fishing practices. She develops seasonal recipes based on produce available at the farmer's markets of her neighborhood and features them on her instagram page @born.under.the.sun and on her website at www.bornunderthesun.com.

The space was located in DTLA at the Vene Ai Studio. The pop up also showcased a sneak preview of the VENE AI 2017 Capsule Bridal Collection with mannequins laid around the studio wearing the gowns and jewelry.

Hors D'oeuvres were served before the farm to table offerings. A fig, rosemary blossom, walnut, and soft bloomed goat cheese was served on a thin cracker with a generous pour of wine. I'm not a fan of goat cheese, but this was really good and the quality of the cheese used really made a difference.

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I seated myself shortly after viewing the gowns and eating the awesome opener. Just relaxed and helped myself to more wine as the guests trickled in.

California Toast

I've had many avocado toasts. Many. Even the crappy ones I've made myself. But. The one that they served was definitely the best anything toast I've ever had. It's obviously avocado, tomato ceviche, charred corn, micro cilantro and goat feta shavings on top. What was beautiful about this was not just the market tomatoes and all the wonderful ingredients that were picked to perfection, but that lime. It wasn't sour, but it sure punched you in the face to let you know that it existed. It was amazing. The bread was toasted carefully that it did not cut the roof of my mouth. The tomatoes and corn added a nice sweetness balanced by the slight saltiness of the goat feta. This dish was inspiring.

Green Gazpacho

Lemon cucumber, chevre mousse, green coriander, watermelon and cilantro flowers. So refreshing. Ridiculously clean. I see myself eating this on my invisible porch on an invisible swing with my invisible acres to look out to.

Summer Moussaka

Braised lamb with heirloom tomatoes, eggplant, yukon potato mash with oregano oil. The lamb was spiced with great anise flavors. Braised till it's fork tender. Very comforting and fulfilled the yearnings of a meat course.

Peach and Almond Eaton Mess

Almond cake, peache, a lemon verbena whip creme and meringue. Also raspberries floating around saying what's up. A lot of people were wondering what this was, but everyone wanted more. The almond cake was fantastic. The lemon verbena is also a classic whip, but not utilized in cuisines as much. A great light sweet touch to end the last summer dinner.

Stay tuned for more pop ups.

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

Mondo Taco - Santa Monica

I have to say, Tacos has come a long, long way here in Los Angeles. I lived in Glassell Park most of my life. If you don't know where Glassell Park is, it's basically where gunshots are fired around 11pm or 2-4 in the morning, Ice Cream trucks at noon - 3pm - 5pm, Elote man around the same time, and tacos covering every proximity you can put your hands on. Back to the days when tacos were $1 a pop, and they just had that flavor you can only find on the streets. If you know what I am talking about, just close your eyes for a minute to relive it.

I remember there was this one stall, serving up all kinds of cuts you can imagine on a comal bola grill. Every meat fat you can imagine, melted and cooked as one. You can't find that anymore nowadays. Or not as easy as it was just a few years ago.

But tacos has evolved into something more multicultural. That's the beauty of living in LA. We don't see each other differently because we are so exposed to the different cultures that we are surrounded with. It's really beautiful if you think about it. I remember when I went to visit some friends in Arizona, I literally stood out like a sore thumb being asian. Nothing wrong with that, but you just know when you are in a town where your existence is minimal. Tacos, right.

I was luckily invited to a taco tasting out in Santa Monica the past weekend. And boy, tacos are my thing. So are burgers. There's just some kind of pleasure I find eating food with my hands. Mondos Tacos provide a more contemporary take on tacos than what you would find at the corner of your local neighborhood in LA. Their tacos travel around the world meaning they do flavors like Italian to a further leap like Indian.

Mondo Taco - 2200 Colorado Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90404

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6 Tacos to try with one Watermelon Agua Fresca (delicious!).

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Chips and Salsa with a side of Guacamole. A must! Good portion of avocados in the guac. It wasn't super loaded with tomatoes either. A perfect starter. I even whipped some of the guac onto my tacos. You know you want to do it too.

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Angry Chicken

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Southern Decadence

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Fancy Fish

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El Greco

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Crazy Fish

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Taj Mahal

Angry Chicken - $3.50 crispy chicken - hot sauce - blue cheese. Finger licking hot sauce that will make your eye wink. So be careful who you are sitting in front of. Don't want to be sending the wrong signal when you are just enjoying your taco. The blue cheese was tasty and added a nice musk to cut through the tartness of the sauce.

Southern Decadence - $3.75 fried chicken - bacon - BBQ sauce - ranch dressing - diced tomato. I loved this! Yummy BBQ sauce with fried chicken strips. I had the slighted memory of eating chicken nuggets from Wendy's. Not like there is anything wrong with that, because everything about that is utterly amazing.

Fancy Fish - $3.50 grilled fish - poblano - pico de gallo - cilantro crème. The name says it all. The fish was delicate and was complimented by the poblanos and creamy cilantro creme.

El Greco - $4.75 grilled lamb - tzatziki - diced tomato. If you love lamb, this will definitely deliver. The gaminess of the lamb really shoots through. The tzatsiki and tomatoes really help cutting through the strong flavors of the lamb. Great portions of lamb.

Taj Mahal - $4.75 coconut shrimp - curry sauce - diced red bell pepper. Surprisingly one of my favorites from the 6. The shrimp was very plump, cooked perfectly, and the creamy curry sauce pairs perfectly with the light flavors of the shrimp and the sweetness of the red peppers. I really want to order 2 of these next time I come, but there are just so much to try from.

Crazy Fish - $3.50 panko crusted fish - pico de gallo - 1000 Island. Another tasty taco. Loved everything about it. There's nothing I love more than a fried fish taco. This was also one of my favorites. Simple, and flavors were well executed. The fish was fried perfectly.

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If you think the condiments are a bit loaded, you are WRONG *BUZZ* The portions of these tacos are larger than you think. The protein is packed, so the amount of sauce and toppings you see doesn't overwhelm the overall taco.

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For dessert, we were able to try their Blueberry Panna Cotta. Don't think about it. Just order it. It's delicious and I've had many Panna Cottas. It's so decadent, I can't believe it's in a plastic container! For $3.50, it is definitely a steal. I would honestly drive the 23 miles to get this again. If you've never had Panna Cotta, just imagine a soft cheesecake. Mild, not as sharp. Creamy. Silky. Soft. Like a baby's butt. 

Plan your next visit, there are plenty of things to do out here. We visited MUJI afterwards around the corner-corner.

Until Next time.

D