Monthly Archives: May 2012
9631 S Santa Monica Blvd · Beverly Hills, CA 90210 · Neighborhood: Beverly Hills
NOW OPEN!!
Yesterday, I got to check out the grand opening of Sprinkles new Ice Cream shop! There was a line, as expected. There was a mix of both families and foodies, as expected. And it was absolutely delicious, as expected.
However, I was surprised to find NO LINE whatsoever at the cupcake shop! This was an absolute first. Everybody was in line for the ice cream or trying out the cupcake vending machine. It seems that cupcake maven Candace Nelson has outdone even herself!
I waited for about 55 minutes before I made it to the front of the line. If you’ve waited in line for Sprinkles Cupcakes before, you know this is the norm. Angelenos take their cupcakes very seriously.
My chosen scoop was a vanilla base ice cream with chunks of their famous red velvet cupcake mixed throughout. No toppings needed. With this ice cream you can literally have your cake – and eat it too! My only complaint was that I wish the scoop was a little bigger. I devoured the whole thing before I made it back to my car! The long line was the only thing stopping me from going back for seconds.
For the opening, owner and pastry chef Candace Nelson was on hand to chat with and pose with fans. I myself have been a fan since 2005. When I used to work in Beverly Hills I ate probably a cupcake a week, no joke. They are addicting!
I almost feel like a proud parent seeing how much the Sprinkles Company has grown!
In addition to various (changing seasonally) ice cream flavors, this newest Sprinkles Ice Cream shop will offer cookies, brownies, and ice cream sandwiches. You will also be able to get your ice cream scoop sandwiched between two cupcake tops, or nestled between an entire cupcake, frosting and all! Uhm, yes please!
After fighting with myself trying to figure out which item to try, I decided on a Red Velvet scoop with a Red Velvet waffle cone.
To go, I got a Chocolate Chip Cookie and a Salted Oatmeal Cornflake Cookie for later on.
I also decided that I would be back tomorrow to try some more.
BYB Tips: The Coffee Fudge and Almond ice cream flavor is AH-mazing! Or try the Snickerdoodle cookie or Peanut Butter Pretzel Chip Cookie – Both of which had sold out by 3 pm.
Feel like a late night nibble? Check out their cupcake machine for 24-hour vending goodness.
· Topanga Plaza Shopping Center ·
6600 Topanga Canyon Blvd
· Canoga Park, CA 91303 · Neighborhood: Canoga Park
I hadn’t much been a fan of French macarons until very recently. My cousin who lived in the OC would often ask me to pick her up a box of ‘Lettes from my neighborhood’s Monsieur Marcel French grocer, and it was only a matter of time until I myself got bit by the macaron bug.
To my delight, the owner of a relatively new macaron shop in Canoga Park asked me if I wanted to try a box of their best flavors. “Of course!” I said, and the very next day this cute little box appeared on my doorstep!
Razmig Cyril Tchoboian, a French born former sound engineer, started Napoléon’s Macarons in October 2010. It was exclusively an online store. Yet as the shop grew, Razmig started providing macarons to various restaurants and chocolatiers and eventually opened up his first brick and mortar shop in the Topanga Mall shopping center.
Having apprenticed with a french chef, Razmig takes pride on his macarons being not only authentic but also gluten-free and made only with organic, natural ingredients.
In comparison to the Beverly Hills based, ‘Lette, Razmig says he focuses primarily on quality ingredients and less on sugar. He does away with unnecessary over-sweetening techniques yet finds a way to remain true to flavor.
The cookies were firm, yet crumbly and gave way to a bit of pressure between my finger and thumb. The ganache filling had a nice subtle taste, hinting at each macaron’s unique flavor. As a chocolate fan, I loved the Café and Intense Chocolate cookies. There are many other interesting flavor options including Baklava, Pistachio and Rose Water just to name a few.
Their shop is located right in front of Macy’s (upstairs) in the Westfield Mall in Canoga Park. If you find yourself in the neighborhood, you should definitely make the effort to stop by this little macaron shop and try a cookie or two. If you do, let me know what you think!
Thanks again to Napoléon’s Macarons for letting me sample your delicious treats!!
Perk!: Napoleon’s Macarons is offering Backyard Bite readers 40% off a six pack of macaroons until August 27th! Simply stop in and whisper the secret phrase: “bonjour napoleon!”
822 Washington Blvd · Venice, CA 90292 · Neighborhood: Venice
Having already been a fan of Sunny Spot since they opened their doors this past November, I was super excited to learn that they were launching their inaugural brunch weekend just in time for Mother’s Day. A special Friends and Family sampling enabled me to try a few items on their menu. With every bite, I couldn’t help but think of friends whom I knew would really enjoy this place. It’s a very diverse menu and should make a lot of foodies salivate with glee.
Since he boldly arrived on the LA food scene in 2008 with his clever Kogi truck marketing tactics, Roy Choi has been redefining our food culture. He filters it through his own sensibilities, fusing upscale cuisine with street food and the foods he grew up with. With Kogi, he combined his Korean influences with Mexican tacos. He took what used to be a boring old IHOP and transformed it into A-Frame – a sleek, contemporary “modern picnic.” And now, such is the case with the fifth installment of his ever-growing empire, Venice’s Sunny Spot.
Roy and owner Dave Reiss elevated the previous resident Beechwood, by creating a sophisticated yet laid back, delicate yet bold dining experience, putting an LA spin on Caribbean fare.
Imagine a DJ sampling the ill’est beats; Roy knows how to take the best elements from various cuisines and make them work together like a badass mix tape – he summons up emotions. Sunny Spot is bolder than most restaurants in this part of Venice. Don’t let the dainty and floral décor fool you, the dishes here are man-friendly, savory and hearty. The plates are meant to be shared, and you’ll find yourself wanting to sample a lot. You’ll also find yourself wanting to save room for dessert, but this almost never happens.
As for the brunch menu, Sunny Spot is not your typical eggs and/or sandwiches kinda brunch. Instead, you have the option of Korean style baked steak and eggs, Jamaican Oxtail Stew, a ginormous plate of pillowy soft Banana French Toast, Smoked Baby Back Ribs or their popular Two Fisted Burger. The meat is expertly prepared so it falls off the bone… it’s really tender.
Roy’s spin on the traditional Cuban sandwich is instead a Cuban Torta with prosciutto, provolone, pickled jalapeño, mayo and mustard. Oh, yeah, Roy doesn’t mess around. There’s something on the menu here for your Paleo-dieting-CrossFit-loving-meat-eater friends and yes, also for your mom, who’d possibly rather get down with a Hearts of Palm Salad or a yummy bowl of AnSon Mills Porridge.
The atmosphere is chill and cozy. A DJ spins island songs while you sip a creamy Jamaican Coffee (spiced with Rum of course). Then you take in some California sun on the patio and you find that you can’t help but dance in your seat a little bit grooving to the mood setting beats. Ahhhh, life is good.
Although my boyfriend and I had devoured two huge dishes, we couldn’t help but get down with another plate – the smoked ribs. When I was done, I licked my fingers clean and smiled sheepishly. Nothing but savory, finger-licking good flavors in this dish. Two and a half hours later, we found ourselves lingering out on the patio just enjoying the calming ambiance, the good-looking people and the satisfying comfort food.
Brunch at Sunny Spot is like you’ve left LA and gone on vacation to a tropical island – minus the groping from TSA.
Bring your mom for mother’s day! Bring your date for brunch, dinner or perhaps their killer happy hour.
Anyway you go, you won’t be disappointed. And if you are – oh well, too bad. Go stand in line at GJelina.
BYB Tip: Parking is valet but also breezy around the corner side streets. Make a reservation in advance – especially for dinnertime.
If you go for dinner, be sure to try the sous vide, deep fried, Jerk Wings. Ah-Mazing! Also, great for private parties!
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1800 Sawtelle Blvd · West Los Angeles, CA 90025 · Neighborhood: West Los Angeles
For my second visit over at the new-ish Plan Check Bar I got to help collaborate a special event. The trendsetters over at the street wear brand Stüssy (yes, remember them??) paired up with the new bar/restaurant just north of “Little Osaka” for a funky fresh evening. The private event was a cool little meeting of the minds; a mash up of fashionistas, bloggers, foodies and entertainment industry folk. There was no stanky fru fru, nor any of that “hollywood” pretentiousness going on here. Everyone simply gathered to share in some good food and good fun.
Stüssy collaborated with Plan Check’s Ernesto Uchimura (the former Umami Burger corporate chef) on a special menu for the night’s festivities.
It featured classic Stüssy inspired references as the titles of the dishes: I.S.B. (International Stüssy Burger), Worldwide Tribe Fries, The Livin’ Large, and Stoopid Fresh Donuts, to name a few examples.
The main course was an International Stüssy Burger made with Akaushi Beef, Jalapeño Escabeche, Americanized (house made) Cheese, Smokey Bacon, Battered Onion Straws, Knowledge Sauce and Uchimura’s classic Crunch Bun. If that sounds like a lot – it was. Plan Check doesn’t mess around when it comes to burgers. It was a huge, savory, Man-Burger.
Uchimura also put a delicious spin on their usual donut dessert. They were so good they disappeared from our table faster than you could say Stoopid Fresh. They included Cereal Milk Ice Cream from Milk and Caramelized Cornflakes. A must try.
The roughly 150 attendees left fully satisfied, full and/or drunk and with doggie bags that included a Stüssy designed Plan Check Tee.
If you didn’t get in to the party but want to try the special menu, you’re in luck. It’ll be available at Plan Check throughout the month of May.
For more info on Plan Check: Check out my previous post on their opening this past February.
Check out some some pics from the night!
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Amy T. Shuster is an actress, writer and food enthusiast. Her blog is backyardbite.com, which focuses on creating positive content to generate awareness of local independent foodie “gems” in the Los Angeles area. Amy lives and dines in Los Angeles, CA.
