Amy T. Shuster
The Santa Monica Place Market 395 Santa Monica Pl · Ste 347 · Santa Monica, CA 90401 · Neighborhood: Santa Monica
Mmmmm… Cookie.
I ventured over to SMP the other day to check out a fantastic cookie maker, The Cookie Guru. Other than selling her famous cookies at Farmer’s Markets, this is Aurelie’s first cookie shop. I was fortunate enough to run into her at her little stand where she proceeded to tell me a bit about the history behind her soon to be famous cookie. We chatted and she explained to me all the painstaking research that went into creating her version of the perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie.
She said that the perfect cookie should be “gooey, chewy, and crunchy”, all of which her cookie is. It is warm, right out of the oven and super soft. It is slightly undercooked which makes the cookie deliciously melt-in-your-mouth fantastic. Baking anything is such a science (which is probably why I suck at baking stuff… I got a C in science class). I truly believe that it is also an art, reserved for those who can master it. Aurelie has definitely got the science down. This is a pretty darn good cookie. There’s a slight nuttiness to it and there are no real “chips” as the chocolate is instead a sliver, almost like it’s own layer, right in between the actual cookie. It’s quite fantastic.
The price, set at $3 is steep, but remember guys that we are doing Santa Monica prices here. You’ll find comfort in knowing that the ingredients are all organic and carefully selected to create the specific “Guru” taste. She uses a no-nonsense European-style butter and a 66% bitter-sweet, dark chocolate from Tcho chocolate. It’s a quality product, a great splurge when you want to sin some and a delicious gift idea. For $15 you can get a ½ dozen and be the hit of the party. Or just eat one a day for 6 days and then join a gym.
She makes her own organic flavored Milk, which I hear is pretty tasty as well. I’m unfortunately lactose intolerant, (the worst stab in the heart for a foodie!) so if you visit Aurelie, try the Milk and let me know how it is! This way I can at least live vicariously through my readers.
For now, The Cookie Guru only makes chocolate chip. There’s usually a special cookie of the month as well. Last time, it was Caramel and this month it is Peanut Butter. I gotta say that if you are a fan of Peanut Butter, you’ll love this cookie, it’s so yummy!
Ok, I know some people will gripe without a bunch of different cookie options, but I’m fine with doing basics. If you want variety, go to Mrs. Fields. I guarantee you’ll wish you came here instead.
Me? Well, I’m a simple girl and a cheap date. Take me to get a cookie and I’m yours forever. Take me to The Cookie Guru and I’ll probably marry you right then and there. That being said – SMP is a good cheap date place when you just want to be casual and share an ice cream sandwich at Beachy Cream around the corner or (hint, hint) The Cookie Guru. Are you paying attention, boys?
Next time you’re around the Promenade, visit Aurelie:The Cookie Guru.
You wont be sorry… and your inner 10-year old will thank you.
Whenever I have family or friends in town I make it a point to take them to the Promenade on Third Street in Santa Monica. Here you get to shop, walk around and hear some really interesting and eclectic street performers. When where done strolling the promenade, you can check out the Santa Monica Pier or take walk on the beach. It’s a perfect afternoon tourist destination all in-one.
The only thing that I feel is lacking on the Promenade is some really great food places. There are a few notables like Buddha’s Belly (Asian Fusion) or Barney’s Beanery (Sports Bar) and my favorite creperie, Café Crepe (French), but other than that there’s just a lot of cheesy tourist spots and fast food muck.
I discovered a few weeks ago that there is a market that recently opened up in the newly remodeled Santa Monica Place up on the third floor. It is a new little foodie court that for now has mostly gourmet desserts but I feel there is a good potential to expand to include substantially good eateries.
SusieCakes · 11708 San Vicente Blvd · Los Angeles, CA 90049 · Neighborhood: Brentwood · (310) 442-2253
Lucky for me, one of my bestest gal pals had a recent birthday. I always use special occasions as an opportunity to try new bakeries… lucky for YOU, I’m gonna tell you all about my latest discovery.
This week I found myself in Brentwood trying out Susie Cakes – a 5-year-old bakery and cupcakery in Brentwood that rivals Sprinkles, one of my favorites.
It’s a good thing that SusieCakes is not close to my “backyard”. It’s the kind of place that would make me an instant diabetic. I would seriously go here and eat cake everyday if I could. Ahhh, one can fantasize though.
While the cupcakes are indeed very similar to the famous Beverly Hills cupcakery, this is how SusieCakes is different:
There is NO LINE. Anyone who has gone to Sprinkles knows about the line, which is wrapped down little Santa Monica on any given day of the week. At SusieCakes, at least when I visited, there was no super long wait and no bouncer. Yes, you have to drive all the way out to Brentwood, but it’s totally worth it.
The cupcakes are MOIST. I tried the Peanut Butter cupcake, which had a deliciously sweet peanut buttery frosting on top AND inside! The cake was very soft and moist and almost melt-in-your-mouth. I also love that they bake fresh batches every day and use a slow churned, pure creamy European-Style butter. The smooth texture of the cupcake really makes for a homemade taste. My only complaint was that I wish they were bigger! I tried some sort of vanilla cupcake with yummy green frosting and a blueberry one which was the special of the day – both, fantastic.
They don’t just do cupcakes. They have amazing CAKES (hence the name, SusieCAKES). I sampled a Marble Cake, which is not offered in cupcake form, but you can purchase whole cakes or individual slices. This is definitely a bakery to keep in mind for any sort of birthday or special occasion or Wednesday.
They have a cute mini-gift shop for you last minute people out there. They will even write an inscription ON the cupcake for an extra dollar. They must keep a tiny baker fairy hiding in the back somewhere who’s skilled at making the little letters. How she fit, “Happy Birthday, Erin” on a teensy tiny cupcake just blows my mind.
If cupcakes and cakes are not your thing, at least come by and try some of their pies, cheesecakes or cookies. The Snickerdoodle and Chocolate Chip Cookies are huge and looked amazing. I had to seriously stop myself from getting one of everything. The thought did cross my mind though. It did.
If you’re on the West Side, be sure to check SusieCakes out. Faboulously, they have five other locations across California; including Manhattan Beach, Newport Beach, Marin, Calabasas and Chestnut.
BYB Tip:
Yes, they do great wedding cakes and… deliver!!
800 E 3rd St · Los Angeles, CA 90013 · Neighborhood: Downtown · (213) 687-4444
Crikey! Here’s a bit of interesting trivia for you: All alligators are crocodiles, but not all crocodiles are alligators. I’m no specialist on the taxonomy of these scary looking reptiles, heck, I don’t even know what the difference is between an alligator and a crocodile is. What I do know, is that if you want to EAT an alligator, you need not go further than downtown, Los Angeles and hit up the super trendy and exotic sausage kitchen, Wurstküche located in the Arts District near Little Tokyo. Chomp. Bite. Score!
Since having opened in 2008 by cousins, Tyler Wilson and Joseph Pitruzzelli, Wurstkuche has singlehandedly spearheaded a trend of delicious exotic german sausages and brews. Three years later, it was only natural that they expand. They are planning on opening a second location by summers end in Venice on Lincoln. All you beach combing sausage lovers don’t have to wait much longer. If the line is too long downtown, you will now have TWO Wurstküche choices!
Also, thanks to the new trend, you can also get your sausage on at other competing sausage kitchens: SteingartenLA in West Los Angeles, Berlin Currywurst in Silver Lake, and in the coming months, Kai Loebach’s Currywurst on Fairfax. Sausages everywhere! Gee, I’m a lucky girl.
Wurstküche, known for their delicious, thick Belgium fries and anything but simple sausages and brats, this place is now not just a locals favorite, but a tourist destination as well. They feature over 20 different sausages to choose from ranging from classic brats to exotic options like rattlsnake all snuggled inside a delicious soft bun with peppers or onions of your choice. Any day of the week you can find a long line of hungry hipsters and artists wrapped around the colorful brick wall waiting patiently. While in line, you’ll have plenty of time to gaze at the menu and peruse the glass case for your sausage(s). If you’re vegetarian, never fear, there are a few great vegy versions too.
Once I ventured downtown only to find they had sold out of buns! I’m told that they order 1300 buns a day, so that means they had served over 1300 people! Even without the bun, the outside line was still just as long and the sausages were still just as tasty. I even prefer the bun-less option sometimes when I need to watch my carb intake. But who’s watching anyway?
I had personally never been a huge sausage and hot dog fan, but this place has converted me. Their Sun Dried Tomato and Mozzarella Chicken-Turkey Sausage is to die for. I brought my dad here when he came to visit and I’ve been to countless birthday parties here too. I’ve run into friends and had impromptu gatherings. It’s a great spot to hang, hear great music, grab some good beer and meet up with friends. If you haven’t already been to Wurstküche, what rock have you been hiding under??? Go!
BYB Tips:
Great for large groups and birthday parties, though definitely call at least a month in advance to reserve the private party room in the back on a weekend.
While they don’t have Das Boot anymore, for $30 you can order the “Wheel” which is ELEVEN, .2-liter glasses of beer to share with friends.
Bring your KCRW Fringe Benefits card for 15% off your bill!
Ok. So, this isn’t a review on a restaurant. I made some banana bread today and it came out so good that I just really wanted to blog about it!
I have a little banana hook where I can hang my cute little banana bunch when I bring them home from the store. Sadly, three rouge banana’s decided to fall off their perch today, subsequently half peeling themselves open! As much as I love fruit, I’m not about to eat 3 huge banana’s in one sitting. Google to the rescue! I found this super easy banana bread reciepe from SimplyReceipes.com and got to work! It took me about 15 minutes to prep (cause I’m slow when it comes to baking) and as someone suggessted I added a shot of Kahlua to the mixture and about a handful of blueberries at the end. I also used 3/4 cup sugar instead of the 1 cup since I added the blueberries.
Here’s the delicious final product!
It came out super moist yet crunchy on top.
I think next time I will add chocolate chips or walnuts instead of blueberries and make muffins! Try it out and let me know what you think!
· 2838 Rowena Ave · Los Angeles, CA 90039 · Neighborhood: Silver Lake· (323) 666-2000
This converted 1920’s firehouse, is a super sleek and hip hideaway in Silver Lake and is a great hangout or date spot. Grab a seat at the bar and sip a refreshing Orange Blossom Martini or sit on the patio and sample some bottomless mimosas ($20 bucks!) as you try something off their delicious menu. You may need to get out the stretchy pants for this one – if you eat like me, you will find yourself happily overeating and slipping into a nice little food coma by the time your done here.
There were so many items on the menu that sounded appetizing so naturally we ended up ordering a little too much. The waiter had to stop us (which was nice of him) because we would have kept ordering more! Luckily we saved a corner in our already bloated tummies for some nom-a-licious dessert. Here are just a few samplings my friends and I fell in love with…
Quite possibly the tastiest fried calamari I’ve ever had. Delicious!
Fritto Misto. Spicy mix of battered fried fish and various vegetables.
Winners of the night! Fried Little Chicken Buns. Be a kid again with these yummy little breaded chicken sandwiches in between sweet Hawaiian buns.
Perfectly Sauteed Kale.
Warm Tom Kah Dumplings. Chicken potstickers in lemongrass-ginger-coconut milk broth. Compared to the other things we had this afternoon, these dumplings were not my favorite. They were ok, but a little too heavy in flavor for my liking. In this case, less is more.
Vol-au-vent. LOVED this tender puff pastry filled with beef short rib, pasta, mushrooms, peas and balsamic caramelized onions.
Baby Apple Crumb A-la-mode. We were stuffed by couldn’t resist trying this. We were glad we did.
BYB Tip: Be sure to visit the back patio and snap a few photos in the retro photo both BEFORE you eat – that is unless you want to document your happy food baby tummy.
Great Happy Hour Menu Mon-Fri from 5-7pm
Late Night Menu on Fridays & Saturdays from 11pm-1am!
What makes a successful restaurant business? That’s the million dollar question right there.
Many local restaurants in my area have succumb to the recession and other financial setbacks and have had to close their doors in recent months. Namely 8 OZ Burger Bar, Cardinale Kitchen and Tacos El Guapo to name a few just in my West Hollywood, “hood”.
I used to work in the Beverly Hills area and it seemed that everyday on my daily walk to lunch around the Rodeo “Triangle” there was a new establishment that was closing it’s doors. No one was immune, not even Beverly Hills. FOR LEASE signs were popping up everywhere.
One minute I was eating crepes at Café Marly the next minute, I was crepe-less.
Then I realized that not everyone was failing. Smaller, specialty shops were actually doubling in revenue. For example, you still have to wait for an hour to get in, even on a Tuesday night to places like Wurstkuche downtown, which specializes in exotic sausages, brats and beers. Now, other specialty sausage kitchens like Currywurst in Silverlake and BRU Haus in Westwood are popping up, capitalizing on the trend. Also, there’s ALWAYS a line for the delicious Sprinkles cupcakes in Beverly Hills. And local business owner, R.J. Milano frequently has offers to expand or franchise his petite liege waffle house, Shaky Alibi located in West Hollywood.
Exotic Sausages @ Wurstkuche in Little Tokyo, Downtown Los Angeles
Delicious Sprinkles Cupcakes in Beverly Hills
Unique Waffles @ Shaky Alibi in West Hollywood
In these hard economic times, restaurateurs who are able to find what their customers want and get them quality goods in the most efficient way, seem to be the ones who make it on top. Patrons are willing to pay a bit more for quality, as in the case of Lindy and Grundy – the specialty new butcher shop on Fairfax that features organic, grass fed sustainable meat products. And Steven Arroyo’s Escuela is a taqueria that just serves up tacos. In each case, quality is the top priority and customers, even in these hard times, don’t seem to mind paying a bit more for it.
Specialty meats @ Eco-friendly Lindy and Grundy in the Fairfax District
Delicious Tacos @ Escuela Taqueria in West Hollywood
One of my new favorite shops is Simple Things, located on 3rd Street in West Hollywood. Owners Ryan Handel and Andy Paxson, opened their doors for business in 2010 with the keen sense that “Simple” is indeed, IN. At Simple Things, it’s not the quality that is simple, but instead the concept. People like pies. People like sandwiches.
Pie + Sandwich + (throw in some great Intelligentsia coffee for good measure) = Success!
Cutie Pies and Sandwiches @ Simple Things in West Hollywood
I could go on and on with a list of new specialty restaurants that have recently opened this past year or are slated to open in the coming months but the list would be ridiculously long. Instead, see if you don’t find them popping up all around you. Notice that the Cheesecake Factory concept of “We can make EVERYTHING!” is out, and the new mantra of “Simple and Quality” is IN.
Do yourself a favor and visit one of these local specialty shops in your own neighborhood. It is indeed a delicious thing to support local businesses.
· 1001 N. Alameda St ·Los Angeles, CA 90012 · Neighborhood: Downtown, Los Angeles (213) 628-3781 ·
Here’s a crazy fact: Did you know that The Original French Dip, Philippe in downtown LA has been around since 1908? – That makes it older than the Hollywood sign!
Before Philippe, I never had a fondness for The French Dip Sandwich.
This little piggie (me) never cared much for roast beef and my neighborhood Arby’s was hardly a blip on my radar. I must have seen a feature on The Food Network about Philippe and after a few friends mentioned the name again I decided I had to see what all the fuss was about. Well, that was over 4 years ago and today, I consider myself a Philippe junkie.
There are days when I crave it. Their juicy and delicious sandwiches are so nom-worthy. At nights, I dream about them and their hearty beef stew (my fave!). Their chili also hits the spot on a colder day. Not to mention their .75 cent lemonade.
Being located in Downtown LA, just at the foot of Chinatown, this touristy little delicatessen is a 20-minute drive from my humble WEHO abode.
However, some days I will make the trek downtown just for a quickie. It’s so worth it.
NO FRILLS.
Be warned, this is definitely not an upscale, fancy pants restaurant. It’s not even a diner. Imagine instead you get in your time machine, set the dial to 1908 (when Philippe first opened) and enter a cafeteria-like basement. You stand in line and a nice hairnet-wearing woman in a pink dress (known as a “carver”) takes your order. She makes your sandwich and plates your food. It’s pretty cheap, but remember to bring some greens – it’s CASH ONLY. (After all, they didn’t have credit card machines in the 1900’s – duh!) You then pop a squat at one of their many community tables or booths. Though this place is huge, it fills up fast, especially for lunch or after a Dodger game.
Both Cole’s Pacific Electric Buffet (on 6th street) and Philippe each consider themselves the originators of the French Dip. They both claim to be the first, but don’t bother trying to find out the truth. It’s like asking “how many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop?” The world will never know.
AU JUS. AW, YEAH.
One version about the famous sandwiches’ origins is that in 1918, the original owner, Philippe Mathieu accidentally dropped a sandwich in a roasting pan filled with juice still hot from the oven. The customer agreed to eat it anyway and voilà, the French Dip was born. It’s all about the au jus, baby. It’s an ingenious idea, yet so simple. It makes the french loaf so tasty and moist.
This place is so cute you just want to pinch its cheeks. If your grandpa was a restaurant, his name would be Philippe and he would look like this. Still filled with wood chippings on the floor, old photographs and vintage decor, Philippe is one of the oldest continuously running restaurants in Los Angeles. Seriously, any place that has survived the Great Depression, two World Wars (and our current recession!) definitely gets bragging rights.
Try their roast beef, roast pork, leg of lamb, turkey or ham dipped in their specialty au jus and throw on your choice of cheese for a few cents more. Like any good delicatessen, they have coleslaw, homemade potato and macaroni salads, hard-boiled eggs pickled in beet juice and various spices and pies. They even make their own hot mustard in house. Use sparingly – it’s spiiiiiicy.
CRAVE IT.
Philippe is a no frills delicatessen that is a Must-Bite when visiting downtown LA.
BYB Tip: Can’t beat a place that provides their own self-park parking lot. They have two. Oh, and they serve beer also! Need I say more?
(Hours: 6 a.m.-10 p.m. daily)
The first of many BYB fave lists; a buddy of mine recently asked me to compile this short list of To-Dos.
If you live in Los Angeles, and like to eat, chances are you already know about all the following places.
If you don’t, well, shame on you.
One of my besties from the midwestern burbs came to visit for a short stay. She wanted to try some of my favorite LA eateries – She wanted to taste the hip and trendy. She wanted a good variety. And she wanted to EAT. Any of the following local spots make my must-visit list when showing friends around town.
If you’re searching for some place hip to take your visiting buds, check out
BYB’s Local Tourist Must Bites.
Top 5 Coffees
Reigning Champs:
Silverlake: Intelligentsia
Abbot Kinney/Venice: Intelligentsia (coffee watching)
Silverlake: LAMill (people watching)
Hollywood: Larchmont Bungalow (best to chat)
Pic-Fair: Paper or Plastic (best to work)
West Hollywood
Westwood: Diddy Reise Ice Cream Sandwiches (Feel more like some cake? Do Sweet Lady Jane’s off Melrose in WeHo)
Beverly Hills: Sprinkles Cupcakes (Want Bigger and Sweeter? Try Crumbs up the street)
Downtown: Philipe’s The Original French Dip (Want a sleeker vibe? Great Alternative: Coles in Downtown)
Little Tokyo: Wurstkuche (Line’s too long? Check out Currywurst in Silverlake
Venice: Gjelina (Can’t get a reservation? Show up, put your name on the list and walk about for a bit, it’s worth the wait)
Culver City: Father Office (Too Trendy ? Too Packed? Great Alternative: Low Key Golden State on Fairfax in Weho – they have Beer Floats!)
Kogi Taco Truck – (Don’t want to chase down the truck or wait in line? Go to Alibi Room in Culver City, their bar/restaurant gets you the same tacos and a hip place to chill for a while)
Fairfax District: Animal (Don’t like meat? Try their new all-fish sister restaurant, Son of a Gun in West Hollywood)
West Hollywood: The Griddle
Hollywood: Mozza (Can’t get a reservation? Great alternative: West Hollywood’s Olio Pizzeria)
Hollywood/Valley/Culver City/Basically anywhere in SoCal: In/Out Burger
Hollywood: Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles (Great alternative: Culver City’s Honey’s Kettle Fried Chicken)
And of course if you don’t agree with something on this list, well.. who asked you!? Only kidding. Please comment if you have an opinion/objection/ or addition to this local-tourist-visit list.
6600 W Sunset Blvd · Los Angeles, CA 90028 · 323-962-8202 · Neighborhood: Hollywood
Who would have imagined such a cute little French wine and cheese bar would exist right off Sunset! Not me that’s for sure. Located just up the street from Amoeba Music and the Arclight, this quaint little bar/café had me humming the theme music from Amelie the whole time. I was waiting for Audrey Tatou to pop out from the back and bring me a piece of cake.
This is a great date place too. Trendy and fab for people watching, if you’re into that sort of thing. Mandy Moore was hanging out at the bar with her entourage right behind us. If you’ve been wondering what she’s been up to, well, now you know: wine and cheese bars!
Just the night before I discovered The Mercantile, my friend and I were looking for a good chill spot to talk and catch up over some good wine and grub. Score! This is just the place for that. I’m not sure what the evening crowd is like, but it would seem like a nice, sophisticated, yet casual alternative to the rowdy pubs and sports bars just up the street.
My server was great and recommended the BEST tasting sandwich. The Turkey was outta this world. Butter lettuce, orange marmalade, avocado, roasted onion, harvati cheese and a spicy mayo — It was SO FREAKIN’ GOOD. I had ordered it for my boyfriend and WISHED I had gotten that one for myself. I had the Southern Chicken Salad which was simple but also pretty good – very light and delicate and had chunks of bacon.
I’ll have to go back and try a few of the 50-80 artisinal cheeses they feature from around the world or their Cuban Sandwich, which sounded delicious from the menu’s description.
Even though a sign over their ice cream says it’s “homemade” I inquired, and unfortunately it’s not anymore. They get it from some place locally in Cali. No matter – I sampled the Merlot Chocolate Chip and the Sea Salted Dark Chocolate and I thought they were pretty darn delicious. They also have some yummy looking pastries which they get from Sweet Lady Janes (another fav place of mine!)
The Mercantile is great for breakfast, brunch or lunching in the afternoon. I mean, who doesn’t like to get wasted at Noon on delicious wine!? Ok, If that’s not your thing, come back in the evening for some ice cream or to try their famous Grilled Cheese.
Totally chill atmosphere and AMAZING wine and cheese selection. Check it out!
BYB Tip: They have their own parking in a lot off Sunset. Free Parking on SUNSET!? Can you even imagine such a thing!?
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