JuJu Cereal Bar

I have been going to JuJu Cereal Bar in Westwood ever since it opened in October, 2007. It is a cereal lover’s dream. They offer so many cereal brands, toppings, candies, and milks it would be ridiculous of me to post them all. However, I want you to know how many options this place gives you, so time to be ridiculous!

For $5.25 you can get:

Step One: (2 Scoops)

Sweet Cereals : Apple Jacks, Captain Crunch, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Coco Krispies, Coco Pebbles, Coco Puffs, Cookie Crisp, Corn Pops, Crunchberries, Eggo Waffles, Frosted Flakes, Frosted Mini Wheats, Fruit Loops, Fruity Pebbles, Golden Grahams, Honey Bunches of Oats, Honey Comb, Honey Nut Cheerios, Life, Lucky Charms, Smacks, and Trix.
Cereals : All Bran, Barbara’s Puffins, Barbara’s Peanut Butter Puffins, Cheerios, Chex, Corn Flakes, Fiber One, Granola, Grape Nuts, Kashi Heart to Heart Blueberry Oat Flakes, Kashi Golean, Kashi Golean Crunch, Kashi Heart to Heart, Kashi Puffs, Kix, Muesli, Mueslix, Raisin Bran, Rice Krispies, Shredded Wheat, Smart Start
Special K, Total, and Wheaties.
Organic Cereals : Acai Apple Granola, Blue Corn Flakes, Cheetah Chomps, Crispy Brown Rice, Grape Nuts, Hemp Granola, Kashi Autumn Wheat, Kashi Cinnamon Harvest, Raisin Bran, Weetabix, and Weetabix Flakes & Fiber.
Hot Cereals : Organic Steel-Cut Oatmeal and Organic Steel-cut Oatmeal with Soy Milk.

Step Two (3 mix-ins)

Fresh Fruit : Bananas, Blackberries, Blueberries, Kiwi, Mangoes, Peaches, Pineapple, Raspberries, and Strawberries.
Dried Fruit & Nuts : Apples, Apricots, Blueberries, Coconut, Cranberries, Goji Berries, Mangoes, Pineapples, Raisins, Yogurt Raisins, Almonds, Flax Seed Powder, Peanuts, Pecans, Pepitas (pumpkin seeds), Sunflower Seeds, Wheat Germ, and Whey Protein Powder.

Sweets : Chocolate Chips, Chocolate chip cookies, Chocolate Pretzels, Graham Crackers, Gummy Bears, M&Ms, Malt Balls, Mini-Marshmallows, Nestle Crunch, Oreo Cookies, Peanut Butter Chips, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Sprinkles, Sugar Wafer Crumbles, Vanilla Wafers, and Yogurt Chips.
Dollops & Drizzles : Caramel, Chocolate, Condensed Milk, Frosting, Honey, Maple Syrup, Nutella, Peanut Butter, Whipped Cream, and Yogurt.

Step Three (Pour)

Dairy : Nonfat, Lowfat, and Whole.
Dairy+ : Chocolate, Strawberry, Banana, Organic Nonfat, Organic LowFat, Organic Whole, Lactose-Free 2%, Plain Yogurt, Plain Nonfat Yogurt, and Vanilla Yogurt.
Non-Dairy : Organic soy, Organic Vanilla soy, and Rice Milk.

My JuJu Bowl was composed of: Barbara’s Peanut Butter Puffins, Hemp Granola, Bananas, Blueberries, and Strawberries with Nonfat Milk. I never had either of these two cereals before. I chose the peanut butter puffins because I have seen them at the grocery store and thought they looked good. The hemp granola was recommended by the friendly guy behind the register. He said he pairs the puffins and granola often and that it was  great combintion. And it was! I loved it and plan to order it again, but next time with organic milk. My boyfriend chose just Frosted Flakes with Lowfat Milk; boring! They also offer frozen yogurt (Plain and Pomegranate) that I have yet to try. Also, if you can’t figure out your own creation they have a huge menu of select mixes. I never have gotten a mix before, but the two that interest me most are the: Let ‘Em Eat Cupcake - Chex, Coco Pebbles, Frosting, Raspberries, M&Ms, Sprinkles, and Chocolate Milk; and Darker the Berry - Double coco krispies, fresh strawberries, Nestle crunch, Ghiradelli chocolate, and strawberry milk. They sound sugarific.

JuJu Cereal Bar
1248 Westwood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90024

Get Directions(310) 474-8571

Blue Mango

I recently stopped by Blue Mango on Sunset with my roommate. It is bright, blue, and clean inside and there was no line because it was a weekday afternoon. I noticed immediately that there was a large variety of both frozen yogurt flavors and toppings.

The flavors, which are all kosher (UO-D), are: Plain Tart, Blue Mango (which is their crazy bright blue colored tart yogurt), Peanut Butter, Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, Coffee, and a Flavor of the Day.

The toppings available are: carob chips, yogurt chips, butterscotch chips, mini m&ms, white chocolate chips, chocolate chips, reeses chips, sprinkles, gummy bears, mochi, oreos, pecans, cashews, peanuts, sliced almond, hazel, walnuts, pistachios, strawberries, pear, kiwi, blueberry, mango, peach, blackberry, lychee, raspberry, pineapple, peanut butter crunch, apple jacks, captain crunch, fruity pebbles, honey bunches, coco pebbles, granola, and coconut. So many decisions!

I sampled the Blue Mango flavor, but the novelty of the neon blue colored tart yogurt was not enough. Instead, I ordered Peanut Butter with Mochi and Blueberry. I know it sounds a little weird, but it was delightful. The peanut butter yogurt was not too creamy but not too icy, nor was it a dominating flavor to the toppings. I love mochi/rice cakes and am thankful they do not sell it at stores (or I don’t know what stores they sell it at) because I would snack on it all the time. I enjoyed the yogurt, but the location is too far away for me. Their brochure says they validate 30 minute parking at 1114 Hilldale Street from 11am-8pm and then at 8961 Sunset Blvd from 8pm to close. However, I don’t know if that means free. They also take credit cards!

Blue Mango
8961 Sunset Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069

Get Directions(213) 590-4545

Hours:
Sunday - Wednesday: 11am-12am
Thursday - Saturday: 11am-2am

Little Britain USA Screening

This past Wednesday I found out that there was an open screening of the TV show Little Britain USA at the Penguin Store in West Hollywood. I have been a fan of the original Little Britain for years and was super excited to see the US version. Little Britain is a character-based sketch show performed mainly by two hilarious actors/comedians: Matt Lucas and David Walliams. There are three official seasons of Little Britain, along with other DVDs available too (Little Britain Abroad and Little Britain Live). Interestingly, the show started on the BBC radio and then moved to BBC television. One of my favorite characters is Anne, a patient at the Steven Spielberg Psychiatric Hospital who makes incoherent screechings and performs random acts of destruction. When she does speak she says the three words “Eh eh ehh!!” Sadly, I do not know if she will be included in Little Britain USA.

Little Britain USA is the return of of Matt Lucas and David Walliams best characters (Vicky Pollard, Daffyd Thomas, Marjorie Dawes, Bubbles DeVere, Emily Howard, Lou Todd and Any Pipkin, etc.) along with the arrival of new and hilarious characters (Mark and Tom: Matt Lucas and David Walliams as Americans who are steroid using body builders / gym rats) that are visiting the USA for some reason or another. There are also cameos of American actors such as Paul Rudd, Harry Lennix, Rosie O’Donnell, Vivica A. Fox, David Schwimmer, Sting, Rachael Harris, and Bob Stephenson.

The event was awesome. You can’t go wrong with free food, cocktails, and 25% discount on Penguin apparel. The screening went swimmingly and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Everyone was given a free mimobot thumb drive that looked like Vicky Pollard (see picture) that includes video clips of the upcoming season. Although some people seem to be wary of the show’s transition to the US, I am confident after the screening that the show will be a success. Or at least I know that I will enjoy it. Hopefully, iTunes will have it accessible to non-HBO subscribers as soon as possible because I do not want to wait until it is released on DVD.

Border Grill: A Great Happy Hour

Border Grill is one of my favorite Happy Hour Mexican restaurants in Los Angeles. Not only do I enjoy the food, but I have many positive memories eating there with my family. Over six years ago, my parents took me out there the night before I started college and when it was located in Pasadena. My how time has flown by! Now Border Grill is located in Santa Monica by the Promenade. It is owned by the chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger from Food Network’s TV Show Too Hot Tamales. They also own the downtown Spanish restaurant Ciudad. And if you have ever bought any food at Whole Foods that had the label “Border Girls” on it, these are those ladies behind that brand.

The best part about Border Grill is their amazing Happy Hour at the bar: $4 Margaritas/Mojitos /Wines. Free chips and salsas (tomato, chipotle, and tomatillo). Various appetizers all between the price of 4-7 dollars. Their margaritas and mojitos are delicious, you can never go wrong ordering them! During this visit I tried their red wine for the first time, an Esser cabernet sauvignon.

What we ordered:

Black Bean Dip - warm refried organic black beans with salsa fresca, crema, and plantain chips

The dip was not as heavy as I expected nor was it bland (which is the usual vibe I get from bean dips). I especially enjoyed the plantain chips which were soft and salty sweet. I preferred those chips over the regular table chips.

Queso Fundido - panela and manchego cheeses melted over raja (potato), and spanish chorizo

This appetizer was more than I expected on both the amount and satisfying levels. It was a plethora of cheese that dominated the raja potatoes and the chorizo. It was an excellent appetizer, but was probably too much for two people to share.

Carnitas Sope - slow cooked carnitas topped with jalapeno citrus slaw and border guacamole

A sope is a relative to a tortilla. It is made from the same ingredients as a tortilla, but the size and thickness are much different. The sope is smaller in diameter but much thicker. Other than that, they are used for the same purposes. This was my favorite appetizer of the night because it had a nice and refreshing citrus sour flavor mingling with the salty and savory carnitas.

Seriously, it is the best happy hour on the west side of town. Fact.

Border Grill
1445 4th St
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Get Directions(310) 451-1655

Happy Hours:
Monday - Friday: 4:00-7:00pm

Carvel Ice Cream

My roommate and I were craving ice cream, but did not want to drive very far. We did a quick internet search and found Carvel Ice Cream on the West Side. Neither of us really knew what Carvel was, but were willing to check it out. Upon arrival, it was awkward and chaotic. There was neither a queue or queue etiquette which is necessary for such a small location. The ice cream looks similar to gelato but from what I  tasted, it was mediocre. I chose the classic soft serve Coffee ice cream on a cone. As you can see in the picture, it was a giant disappointment. In fact, when the girl handed it over to me, she apologized! It tasted okay; a bland and subtle coffee flavor that melted fast. I secretly wished we had gone to Bigg Chill. Oh well, lesson learned. The ONE positive to Carvel is that they take credit cards.

Carvel Ice Cream
11037 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025

Get Directions(310) 444-0011

Frogo Waffles!

Last week I stopped by Frogo to see if they had any new flavors. Alas, they only had their usual (Tart, Green Tea, Death By Chocolate, White Chocolate Mousse, and Wild Mountain Strawberry). I ordered my favorite: White Chocolate Mousse with M&Ms. I found out that their yogurt is made from all natural fructose instead of high fructose corn syrup. So that’s good news; the less high fructose corn syrup in life, the better! I also learned that they just added waffles to their menu. The people behind the counter were kind enough to give me a sample too. I chose Wild Mountain Strawberry to pair with my warm waffle which was then topped with strawberries, syrups, and powdered sugar. I never combine yogurt/ice cream with cookies/cakes/waffles, so the warm waffle and fruity yogurt teamed up to be a pleasant treat.

Frogo
1300 Wilshire Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90403

Get Directions(310) 395-6794

Caffe Brass Monkey

Last weekend my friend had a birthday party at the karaoke bar, Caffe Brass Monkey. This bar is located randomly on Mariposa and Wilshire in Koreatown. It turned out to be a fun place, but I have a few complaints. First, there is a 2 drink minimum. In my mind, drink minimums are just as bad as cover charges. No bueno. No gracias. Second, if you are using a credit card there is a $20 minimum. Who in Los Angeles carries cash? No one I know. The drinks reasonably range between 5-10 dollars which is awesome, but I didn’t want to get wasted. Nor did I want to purchase two overpriced sodas. Although it’s more expensive, I’d rather get drunk than be ripped off for soda, so I ordered double shot of Knob Creek whiskey.

The DJ was cool. He had a hairdo like Vanilla Ice and a great voice to help save the unfortunate karaoke singers who either were not singing loud enough or were just bad singers. The one hilarious downfall to the night was the emotionless skinny white girl that had signed herself up for songs using different names. Maybe I wasn’t drunk enough, but this girl was unbearable. She kept going up for rap/hip-hop songs, which could be considered cute, but once you realized she either is illiterate or was too drunk to read, the cuteness faded fast. As she fumbled through the words of every song, she kept squatting her body closer to the floor making it look like she was having a bowel movement. While doing these squats, she kept pawing at her crotch to grab at what RuPaul refers to as “the candy.” Last but not least annoying, she tried to steal our friend’s song when it was his turn! Thankfully, after her 3rd song IN A ROW (the sixth or seventh of the night) we were leaving. I hope for everyone’s sake the DJ started to regulate her stage time. Note: In the picture she is the one on the left trying to hold it in.

Caffe Brass Monkey
659 S Mariposa Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90005

Get Directions(213) 381-7047