Usually when kitchen novices decide to do a cooking class, they look for something easy. A chicken dinner perhaps? Maybe some sort of pie? Or they decide to go “ethnic” and then find a course on Mexican food only to get the basics of Spanish rice or tacos. Rarely are we brave enough to try something much more exotic.
How about Japanese cooking? Sure, you say, “I’d love to learn how to make sushi.” But what if I told you there was so much more to Japanese cuisine than sushi rolls? Would you be daring enough? One Japanese cook takes you into her kitchen and shows you how to make authentic Udon noodles, Ramen or Okonomiyaki (a traditional savory pancake from Osaka, Japan).
I was invited to sample an evening class at Japanese Foodstoryand share my experiences.
Our group was made up of about 9 young foodies who worked as a team to piece together a seemingly complicated dish. I don’t think I would ever have been brave enough to try and make Okonomiyakion my own – in fact, I know I wouldn’t. As simple it is, it takes a lot of know how of proper preparation of ingredients and timing. Nevertheless, it was really cool to partake in something very different especially with ingredients that were completely new to me. We all chopped and stirred and flipped our dinner. And after about 2 hours of cooking, we all sat down to enjoy the fruits of our labor, chat some more and of course, instagram our beautiful dish.
You can look at some pictures from our class below or click here to see the video recap!
Perfect for any small group – a birthday, date, bachlorette party or perhaps a team building exercise. I found her classes to be great way to learn about Japanese culture in a relaxed, fun environment.
Thanks to Yoko Issasi and Marian the Foodie for hosting a lovely class and dinner!
1511-C Montana Ave · Santa Monica, CA 90403 · Neighborhood: Santa Monica
Time to get out yourRosetta Stone and start practicing Italian. Well, at least if you’re a coffee lover make sure you know how to say the phrase, “vorrei una tazza di caffè?” — “I would like a cup of coffee.”
Spazio Caffe, which opened up in Santa Monica this weekend from owners Laszlo Gerber and David Sandor King, is definately not your average American coffee house. In fact, it’s not American at all. It’s a sleek euro-styled café modeled after the popular Italian coffee houses which are known all over the world for their delicately flavored espressos and specialty roasts from the Italian coffee brand, Manuel. They are known for their rich and thick gourmet sipping chocolates, teas and Euro inspired menu items and pastries.
Although the brand is a (very popular) chain, “It’s not like a Starbucks,” explained Laszlo. “You go to Starbucks and nobody is taking to each other, everyone is on their computer working. The café’s in Italy are much different. You go to have a good cup of espresso, meet friends and actually talk to people. You enjoy each other’s company.”
While they do offer free wifi for the conversationally impaired, Laszlo told me that their café is instead more focused on providing a comfortable place for the community to convene — over a darn good cup of java of course.
I sampled the hazelnut hot chocolate and was mentally transported to Europe for a moment, you know, where life seems uncomplicated and people just chill and relax in the cafés for hours and hours on end (don’t these people have jobs!?).
They feature hot made-to-order specialty coffees like the Baciami which is an espresso served with creamy milk-hazelnut and chocolate cream or the Agrumi, a hot creamy-milk and mandarin/orange jam infused espresso. There are also cold specials to refresh and revive you during those hot summer days, namely the Cóccolo, a whole milk and coconut syrup espresso. The beverages here are so cute, dainty and beautifully poured, you’ll definitely find yourself instagraming a photo before you slurp and sip your way into a caffeine-high heaven.
As for the food, you can expect freshly baked croissants, organic omelets and scrambles for breakfast, grilled paninis with Italian prosciutto and cheeses and chicken or smoked salmon salads. You’ll find nothing too heavy here. The menu is light, just like in traditional European cafés (where everyone is so gosh darn skinny!).
Desserts include their specialty drinking chocolates; dark chocolate, coconut, rum coffee, mint, or whiskey to name a few of the 18 decadent flavors. On a hot day, you might instead share with a pal one of their refreshing sorbets beautifully served up in hollowed out coconut or pineapple.
The brand, the furniture, the design, the coffee, the chef — everything is imported from Italy. Well, except the owners. Gerber and King are actually Hungarian and they are well versed in all things Italian and most importantly, in their coffee. King used to sell Manuel coffee in his popular cafe-restaurant in Hungry before he sold his business and headed for the states.
Now the pair, who have been friends since grade school, also share ownership of two Caffé Bello locations in West Hollywood and Santa Monica, andalready have plans to open up another Spazio off Main Street and Rose.
Ok. So how authentic IS this place, really?
Check out the hilarious European-styled cookie that comes with your coffee. I love it! This hot guy on the wrapper has his little cup of espresso in hand and his faithful dog by his side — he’s ready to take on the world!
You go Euro-boy!
Get your Italian fix right here in Santa Monica — no passport needed.
2830 Fletcher Dr · Los Angeles, CA 90039 · Neighborhood: Atwater Village
My mother once visited me and asked me to take her someplace where she could get a Budín, a Puerto Rican style bread pudding. She was here for a week, and I took her to various bakeries and cafés around L.A., all of which made her very disappointed in her daughter. “I thought you were some sort of foodie, Amy?” I was ashamed.
I was completely out of ideas. I knew not of any authentic Puerto Rican Restaurants in the city of Los Angeles. I wasn’t about to drive all the way to Cypressor Wattsjust to feed my mom’s ridiculous craving. She flew back home to the midwest and I was a foodie failure in her in her eyes. I pleaded with her that it wasn’t my fault! Blame L.A.! Blame L.A.!
As we know, Los Angeles is known for being a melting pot of cuisines from around the world. We can get everything from Salvadorian pupusas to Hawaiian BBQ to Ethiopian food. Bacon wrapped hot dogs (what culture is this!?) are available anytime anywhere, and don’t even get me started on the surplus of tacos in this town. But where does one get Puerto Rican food? The cuisine is so under represented in LA. That is until now.
Interesting how if you ask the universe for something, sometimes you just get your wish. Over the holidays I grumbled and complained and wished for a good representation of my island’s food. Voilá! Somebody must have heard me howling because opening this month is the first Puerto Rican Restaurant in the city of Los Angeles!
Strategically nestled between Silver Lake foodies, Glendale families, downtown artsy fartsy types and Los Feliz hipsters, it’s in a prime multi-cultural location to reach as many food lovers as possible. Best of all, it’s just 16 minutes away from me in West Hollywood! Come back mom, I gotta place for you now!
342 S. La Brea Ave · Los Angeles, CA 90068 · West Hollywood, CA
As with any independently owned business owner, it always starts with a dream. For Cassandra Troy Walker, owner of Clover, a newly opened cold pressed juice bar on LaBrea in West Hollywood, it was time for her to make that dream a reality.
Recently leaving her career in fashion sales, Cassandra teamed up with hospitality group,Cardiff Giant and Beau Laughlin (The Hudson, The Churchhill) to provide a space for locally sourced health and wellness foods “all under one roof.” The bright and airy boutique juice bar/café will provide everything from kombucha shots on tap, made-to-order smoothies, vegan and gluten free sandwiches and baked goods.
Ever thought of doing a juice cleanse but didn’t quite know how? They have that too. You can stock up for a 1, 3 or 5 day juice cleanse and give your bod a healthy “oil change.”
Cassandra told me that Clover is her first business, and it was important for her to involve the neighboring community. The art on the wall is from Lab Artlocated just up the street on LaBrea and the wood furniture is from the local design firm, Croft House. Flore Organic Vegan,based in Silver Lake provides grab-and-go cold wraps and salads and there will also be sandwiches by chef Bruce Kalman from Churchhill as well.
Charm City Cakes‘ baker Lauren Lobley and her Delectable You brand provide treats that are both gluten free and vegan. “Most people don’t think of vegan food as actually tasting good. I want to dispel that myth” she explains. Although she doesn’t tout her juice bar as being strictly “gluten free”, she wanted to provide alternatives in the beverages and food options for those more health conscious.
I wanted to try their signature drink, The Clover, a concoction of kale, cucumber, celery, spinach, pear, cilantro, mint and lime. Their second day of being open, it was already sold out. Never fear, the fresh juices are re-stocked from their offsite giant cold press, tri-weekly.
Connected to the Moksha Yoga studionext door and just down the street from the Hollywood CrossFit gym, I expect these cold pressed juices to be flying off the shelf with body smart yogis, health nuts and foodies so close by.
Based on the barista’s recommendation, I ordered a Mint Chocolate Sip made with chocolate protein powder, raw cocoa powder and nibs, banana, vanilla soy milk and peppermint oil. As a chocolate lover and a fan of all things minty — this was a really tasty, refreshing morning treat that I can foresee becoming a regular thing for me.
The space is meant to “encourage a healthier lifestyle” and make “high quality juicing accessible to everyone” according to the company’s mission statement on their website.
For selfish personal reasons, I’m stoked that they are located in my neighborhood. Hooray for local gems!
BYB Tip: Opening week all in-store cleanse purchases are 25% off!
Plus – Stumptown cold brews and single drip coffees available as stand alone or infused in your shake!
I can’t begin to tell you how empowering it is to know how to properly wield a knife… in a kitchen, that is. Just a week before I enrolled myself in the knife skills class at Gourmandise School of Sweets and SavoriesI sliced a nice little piece of skin off my index finger with a bread knife. As happy as I was to finally get to use my newly purchased Pac Man bandages, I was also a bit embarrassed.
I’m pretty comfortable in the kitchen, since I’ve been going solo on homemade meals since I was a pre-teen. However, something was slowing me down and I had to figure out what I was doing wrong before I started losing digits.
I chose to take a knife skills class at Gourmandise because I had been to the school before and really felt comfortable with the teaching style, class size and kitchen equipment. Our class that night was a good range of newbie’s in the kitchen to intermediate cooks and others who had taken some cooking classes before.
Our instructor, Chef Christianne was awesome at telling us what we were doing right… and wrong. She began the class by going down the list of knives often found in home kitchens; chef’s knife, veggie knife, slicer, boning knife, pairing knife, etc., and told us their proper uses. She also told us what we absolutely needed to have and what we could live without. Turns out those generic knife sets with 20 different assortments of knives you get at Kmart are pretty much unnecessary. Get a good chef’s knife, a decent pairing knife and a bread knife. That’s it.
Oh, and get to know a good professional sharpener. This is important. Chef Christianne was full of interesting facts like this and other FYIs. Sure, you could watch a bunch of YouTube videos to get the general idea on how to cut, but it was nice to have a first hand demonstration and instant answer for my many questions.
We practiced honing and sharpening our own knives and chopped lots and lots of vegetables –which of course we snacked on throughout the class. I finally learned how to properly slice and onion, a squash and a red pepper. All the fruits of our labor culminated in cooking butternut squash soup and a recipe for homemade minestrone – both of which I had always wanted to learn how to make and discovered are actually pretty darn easy.
The three-hour class went by quickly and although I learned a lot, I didn’t feel overwhelmed. After I got home, I wanted to chop up everything in my fridge. That kuri squash that had been sitting on my counter top since November? That was the first to get cut. I had been previously very intimidated by the thing. Sad, I know. But something just clicked that night. Once I got the general idea about the pinching technique and making planks, sticks, and squares – I felt I could cut up anything. Well, maybe not everything. I may end up taking their Knife Skills 2 class so I can learn how to properly deconstruct a chicken once and for all.
I had learned the basics of cooking at home from my mom, but I learned certain skills that night that made me feel more like a pro. Or at the very least, I wont be cutting my fingers with the bread knife anymore.
The Gourmandise School of Sweets and Savories teach everything from pro pastry classes to a 6-hour intensive croissant making class, to gluten free baking or a gourmet pizza class. Great for groups, gal’s night out, or a date.
BYB Tip: Use your KCRW Fringe Benefits card for a discount!
Anyone who knows me well, knows that I am a big fan of artisanal chocolates. And since my blog is all about discovering culinary underdogs and foodie gems, The Chocolate Invitational proved to be a one-stop shop for just that. An on-going series of events focusing on chocolate awareness, Mikki Sage and Ashley Walsh (her father started Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate) founded the Invitational as an arena for chocolate vendors and the local creative community to share their products with eager chocolate aficionados. I had the opportunity to meet some truly great people who were proud and passionate about their work. I also got to try some truly fantastic treats, and not just chocolate! In addition to the chocolate vendors, in attendance were healthy snack food producers such asJust Pure Foods, tea from Bhakti Chai, flavored liqueurs from Art in the Ageand even a Moonshinevendor. A roving group of Lucille Ball impersonators, a stilt walker and a teepee set up for tea tastings and meditations all contributed to this very entertaining day.
The event took over the grounds of a beautiful Malibu ranchand transformed it into a fun vintage styled festival. It was a foodie’s paradise. The location was a calming change of pace from the usual city hustle and bustle and it was nice to step out of Los Angeles proper and spend a few relaxed hours unwinding with some good swing music, hot Chai tea and some really fantastic chocolates.
Some standout vendors were Coracao Confections which offered amazingly addictive gluten free, soy free, dairy free raw cacao truffles. Just Pure Foods, which makes delicious, healthy snack food alternatives like Spicy Jalapeño Tomato Chips, Chocolate Kale and Zucchini Chips and Amella Caramels who somehow managed to make caramels that are perfectly sweet and chewy without getting all stuck in my teeth!
To give you an idea of what the event was like, here’s a short video recap from my experience.
The events are held sporadically throughout the year at varying locations, be sure to follow them on Facebook to be looped in about the next delicious gathering.
For a list of sponsors and vendors, click their web page.
3056 Roswell Street · Los Angeles CA 90065 · Neighborhood: Eagle Rock/ Glassell Park
I learned what my threshold was. Three beers. At least, that’s when I stopped taking notes and started to really let loose and enjoy myself. I recently attended the women’s beer forum at Eagle Rock Brewery and going in, I made sure I had no reservations. I was being brave.
Like a lot of women, I prefer wine when at a nice bar and often declare myself to be, “not a beer drinker.” Even hailing from the mid-west where beer and dive bars are part of the culture, whenever the suggesstion of visiting a sports bar with the “dudes” comes up, I suddenly think up excuses so I don’t have to go. The anxiety of deciding what to drink takes over and I usually just say – “Oh, it’s ok, you guys go ahead without me.”
Well, as it turns out I’m not alone. Ting Su, the most endearing beer geek you’ll ever meet, wanted to address the issue of women and beer, common sterotypes and myths surrounding why more women don’t typically get into it. As co-owner of Eagle Rock Brewery in Glassell Park she decided to start up a Women’s Beer Forum to teach us forelorn ladies some helpful and fun facts about craft beer. Her goal is to help women to learn how to recognize what they like and don’t like about beer and find one (or more) that they can actually enjoy. Are we attracted to bitter or sweeter tastes? Perhaps a hoppy or malty brew? Craft beer is a good way to start out learning about beers as they are typically made in smaller batches so the brew master has more freedom to experiment with a wide variarion of styles and flavor profiles.
Throughout the 2 hour tasting event, Ting explained each beer sample in detail to a perky crowd of 30 or so women. Some of us were novices and others, avid craft brew officionados. It didn’t matter what our knowledge was coming in, we were all down for a good time and a little beer re-educationing.
At the start, we all listened dilligently like good little students for the first two or so rounds and even asked questions like “can beer be aged?” (yes! If it’s a malt) and “why does this beer smell like cat pee?” Audience participation is a must in this setting. We looked, swirled, smelled, drank and described what we tasted. Then we all drank some more. Suddenly, my glass was empty and I had a fun discovery – I DO like beer!
There were some flavors I had a strong aversion to. One particular brand from Portland, Oregon, Hair of the Dog’s hoppy, Doggie Claws was one I didn’t finish. Despite its adorable name, it was a beer that even Ting admitted to smelling a bit like cat pee. “It’s the hops” she assured, not really pee. Ahhh, we all sighed with playful relief. I found however that the aged 2010 Old Guardian was right up my alley. It had a “big taste” a slightly sweet side, and was a bit fungal in its aroma. I found myself refilling.
Ting says, “women should stop saying, ‘Oh, I don’t like beer. I’m not a beer person.’ The problem is, we simply haven’t met a beer that we like yet.”
Ting conducts the forum at the brewery on the third Wednesday of every month. It’s a good sized crowd of gals. It’s not a place to feel intimidated or pressured. You might love the beers that month, or you might hate them. “Don’t feel bad if you take a sip and hate it. Move on to something else.” Ting’s philosphy is that life’s too short to drink bad beer.
Here’s a brief recap of the beers we sampled from the Barleywine Tasting on 12/19/12. As you can see the alcohol content of these particular beers is pretty high. So, yeah… we had a good time.
Old Guardian: Stone Brewing Company (Escondido, CA)
2010 (11.1% ABV), 2011 (12% ABV), 2012 (11% ABV)
Soltice D’Hiver: Brasseri Dieu Du Ciel (Montreal, QC)
(10.2% ABV)
Annihilator: Beachwood BBQ & Brewing (Long Beach, CA)
(12% ABV)
Doggie Claws: Hair of the Dog (Portland, OR)
(11.5% ABV)
Special shout out and Thanks to Pig Parts and Beerfor introducing me to this great neighborhood gem!
BYB Tip: There is always a (woman owned!) food truck parked just outside. So don’t worry about drinking too much. You can always order and eat in the bar or tasting room. Here’s what I ordered from Steel City Sandwich to soak up the booze in my belly.
Another year of eating and blogging has gone by and I am stoked to have discovered a lot of thriving, great restaurants. I got to do a bit of traveling throughout the year and ate a diverse array of memorable dishes. I tried everything from new, local restaurants and cafés around my humble Hancock Park neighborhood to family run gems across the globe.
Thus, I wanted to compile a short list of some of my favorite meals and discoveries from 2012. These are the dishes that remind me of everything I love about food, culture and the thoughtful preparation that goes into what nourishes us, inspires us and makes our bellies happy. From a simple taco joint in downtown Los Angeles to an Indian feast in London, here’s a recap of my favorite eats from 2012.
Pizza East, Shoreditch, London, England – Fig, burrata, honeycomb bruschetta
Despite having incredibly delicious pizza (the best in London?), this super trendy pizza-pub has great appetizers, wines and craft beers. The seasonal fig and burrata, honeycomb bruschetta is something I’ve tried to re-create in my home to no avail. A true play on textures and favors, the sweetness of the fresh, loosely smashed figs and honeycomb on top of creamy burratta cheese and salty-crunchy bread made for a simple and perfect dish that utterly blew my mind.
When the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck made a surprise pop-up visit to my West Hollywood neighborhood this past fall, I was definitely caught off guard. I was confused. Confused as to who was driving this flamboyant pony and rainbow designed truck, confused as to why was there such a long line of people and confused as to why hadn’t I heard of them before. Well, the New York based soft serve ice cream vendors sure turned heads and made a lot of adults, giddy with childlike glee that week.
The salty pimp (vanilla ice cream, dulce de leche and sea salt in a chocolate dip) and the Bea Arthur (vanilla ice cream, sea salt and crushed ‘nilla wafers) made my list for best sweet treats last year. I can’t wait to visit their brick and mortar shop when I’m visiting New York!
This family-run gem on Umbertson Street in London has traditional dining in the bottom restaurant and a mess hall-like casual upstairs area where families and friends BYOB and enjoy some of the most delicious and authentic Indian/Pakistani cuisine. I loved the lamb, curry dishes and garlic nan. The place is no-frills but great for traditional food on a budget when traveling.
This newly opened Australian style cafe has become one of my favorites for on-the-go mornings. I usually get the mushroom frittata and the Flat White (cappuccino) made from Longshot coffee. Food always tastes better when the staff makes you feel welcome. This is a true neighborhood gem.
Quite possibly, the best tacos in LA are located in a little, family run establishment in Boyle Heights. I love that at Guisados you get to order a 5 taco sampler plate (which is super affordable) and have the option of picking choosing whichever of their tasty “stewed” tacos you like. The sampler is perfect for indecisive eaters like me. Notables are the spicy cohinita pibil and the mole poblano. Oh, and do yourself a favor and get their horchata while you’re there.
A crazy good pork chop lives here. Among other mega tasty eats like their bacon-cheeseburger and leg of lamb, when I’m in the mood for some really good All-American food, I get the mashed potatoes andthe immensely juicy, bone-in pork chop. This little West Hollywood establishment has a small kitchen right in the dining area and intimate seating. They post their chalk drawn menu on theirFacebook page daily so you know what to expect before you go. Everything is locally grown and raised. They also butcher in house. Word to the wise, check them out for brunch too!
A small and inexpensive joint in Japan where you can have a simple plate of curry + meat, white rice with toasted almonds and raisins. Who would have thunk it? Good traditional style curry in Japan!? You can get as crazy as you want here with tons of different flavors and spices but the butter chicken curry is a (safe), really delicious bet.
Lo de Flor, Barcelona, Spain – Duck and Goose Paté
This particular paté starter has inspired me to write not just one buttwo posts about it. It’s definitely a dish I would not have expected to enjoy so much, but 6 months later, here I am writing about it again. I’m sure to casual paté eaters, perhaps it’s no big deal. But to someone who had previously disliked the stuff immensely, to now have tasted it in a place that not only turned meinto a paté fan, but makes me yearn to fly back to Spain just so that I can have it again – it’s definitely something to write home about. The rest of the menu here is ridiculously good as well. Make sure this place makes your to-do list when in Barcelona.
Doughnut Plant, Lower East Side and Chelsea, New York – PB&J doughnut
I have a new found respect for doughnuts. Especially for the Doughnut Plant in New York City which re-introduced me to doughnuts in a moderately wild way. The place is adorned with cute donut pillows on the wall and oozing with the most comfortingly sweet aromas. When in the Big Apple I must always get their PB & J Doughnut. In doing so, I get to be a kid again in the best way. Other notables are the pistachio cake doughnut or the triple chocolate cake doughnut. As a bonus, all of their doughnuts are all-natural, made with no eggs, no trans fat, no preservatives, no artificial flavorings or colors and are made from the highest quality ingredients. It’s one of my favorite (not-so) guilty pleasures.
The famousjamón ibérico is a specialty salt-cured ham that is a must when visiting Barcelona. One particular sandwich (which was made famous when NY Times food critic Mark Bittman touted the simple tomato and ham baguette as being the best sandwich in the world) was definitely one of my favorite eats while traveling through Europe. It’s a cheeky and almost gimmicky café located on Las Ramblas, a very touristy street (think Hollywood/Highland). However, I liked the Euro sandwich’s simplenessand the slight saltiness of the very thinly sliced ham. We ended up going there twice during our trip.
I first discovered Stumptown Coffee while on a trip in Portland earlier in the year while staying at the ACE Hotel. Think of the coffee as the Intelligentsia of the Pacific Northwest. According to its Wiki pageits founder Duane Sorenson is credited as being a big “part of the so-called ‘Third Wave‘ of the coffee movement,” essentially being one of those beloved neighborhood roasters who are committed to providing high-quality coffee and have a deep involvement in all stages of production – harvesting, processing and fair trading. To my delight, with the opening of Sycamore Kitchen in 2012, I can now get Stumptown by the cup or by the bag right in my neighborhood. Anyone who follows my tweetsknow I have a slight addiction to the stuff.
While you’re there, make sure to check out the delicious baked fresh pastries. I go daily for the blackberry lemon polenta cake or chocolate banana strudel. Though with Karen Hatfield as pastry chef you know you really can’t go wrong with any of the sweets here. If you’re lucky to be there on a day when they have their special, grilled cheese with speck and mozzarella, go on and get that too!
I had the pleasure of getting to interview the incredibly humble owners, Matthew Heffner and Sean Brennan of The Pie Hole in early 2012. I sampled some of their favorite pies which in turn became my favorites too. The maple custard pie is the West Coast’s version of the Momofuku Crack Pie (New Yorkers will know what I mean). If you’re lucky enough to get one fresh out of the oven, oh, it’s crazy good.
The lemon meringue is also worth a mention. As a chocolate person, I wouldn’t normally jump to order this, but the way they make this with fresh lemons from a neighboring California lemon farm…
Oh, man. Just, oh, man. I ate very well this year.
Happy New Years! To celebrate another year of the little blog that could, I want to gift one lucky reader with one of the best gifts… chocolate!
You’ve got a years worth of beautiful and clever Insta-grammed images and now what’s a foodie to do? Forget birds! Put a chocolate bar on it! (or behind it, really).
The wonderful people over at the edible-art chocolate company Cocoagraph have donated a $25 gift certificate to the winner of this contest for your photographic and edible pleasure. Don’t know who the heck they are? Well, you should… Cocoagraphs are “artisan chocolate bars printed with edible Polaroid-style photographs.” Your photographs!
Check out the video and then learn the contest rules after the jump.
The first 25 people to “Like” “Backyard Bite‘s fan page on Facebook and repost this link on their page are entered to win. It’s a small drawing so your chances of wining are GOOD!
If you don’t have a Facebook account, that’s OK too, just comment below or follow me @ Backyard Bite on Twitter and put hashtag “#chocolatecontest” in a tweet to me. One lucky winner will be chosen at random and announced on January 15th, 2013. Just in time for you to get your order in for Valentine’s Day!
Support local businesses and “Like” Cocoagraph’s fan page on Facebook OR follow Cocoagraph on Twitter too!
Good luck!
BYB Tip: These make for great wedding/shower/bridal party/birthday gifts!
2201 W Sunset Blvd · Los Angeles, CA 90026 · Neighborhood: Echo Park
Since quietly opening in early 2012, this sunny little coffee shop is where Silver Lake local’s go to sip some tasty java and do some serious work on their screenplay writing. The homey café features a few small tables which are perfect for propping up your computer on and jamming out on their free wifi. Formerly known as “The Coffee Pot”, new owner Erin West is down-to-earth and friendly – just the way you want your local coffee shop owner to be.
The cappuccino I had was perfectly foamy and made very well. They offer more than a few salads and pastries and although they don’t call themselves a “vegan” café, there are quite a few gluten free, organic, veggie options on the menu.
If you’re looking for quiet, this this definitely the place. I met someone for coffee here and although the place was moderately packed, we were the ONLY ones having a conversation. If you want a location with more boisterous activity and more of a “scene”, there’s always Intelligentsia just up Sunset at the Junction. However if you need a little more Zen in your life, Hedgehog is your place.
BYB Tip: This place gets great morning sunlight! In other words, don’t be afraid of getting a little tan while you work.
Special shout out to Dawn Asher for the heads up on this super cute place!
BYB Tip: There is always a (woman owned!) food truck parked just outside. So don’t worry about drinking too much. You can always order and eat in the bar or tasting room. Here’s what I ordered from 
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