Thinking about (slowly) running the Santa Monica-Venice Christmas Run

December 13th, 2008.

I really want these, but

They are way too expensive. Hopefully they will go on sale. Or I’ll find a knock off.

Free People - Vintage Neostyle - $368.00

Tall News

Seriously. I just want to scream to the world how happy I am that more clothing stores are carrying their clothes in TALL sizes. My torso is long and when I try on shirts from places like J. Crew it looks like a (polo) belly shirt from the 90s; it is awful. But now stores (at least online) like Banana Republic, Anthropologie, Old Navy, J.C. Penny, J.Jill, Lands End, carry a tall selection! Although it’s only a few, rather preppy stores, it’s still something! Someone finally realized that ALL women like to shop no matter what their size (and that not everyone has stumps for trunks). I get the fact that it’s not easy for anyone, petite people have it rough too, and so do plus sizers… and everyone else that falls in between, on the sideline, out of the box, or whatever. But nobody has ever cared about the tall people before. So this is big tall! I’ve spent my whole life being too “freakishly tall like a gorilla” to dress very girly and I’m excited about the prospect of having more than just tunics, men’s clothes, and potato sacks in my wardrobe. Yay!

Zelo Pizzeria

Although we had to fight some mean 210 traffic, my boyfriend and I finally tried Zelo Pizzeria in Arcadia. They are notorious for their cornmeal crust and is one of the only restaurants in (more like near) Los Angeles that comes closest to Chicago style deep dish pizza. We arrived around 6:00pm on a Saturday, arriving a little before a tolerable crowd. The place is small, but gives off a warm vibe; the walls are filled with thoughtfully hip art such as some Basquiat, pizza related album covers, and a shrine to Z-boys (skaters).

I was quite hungry and made the smart decision to order the Beet Salad - Fresh beets, roasted walnuts, blue cheese served on a bed of greens with shallot-balsamic  vinaigrette. I read many positive reviews about this salad. And after trying it, I completely agree with the reviews. The mountain of beets are chilled fresh and the walnuts are warm. If this was a movie, the star would be the beets, but the supporting role would be the blue cheese, helping bring the salad together. But, really the full cast deserves credit because the dressing was vinaiGREAT perfect. It’s good that I ordered this too because it came out quickly and was enough to tide me over while we waited for the pizza.

Although they had quite a variety of “gourmet” sounding pizza, I opted for a classic slice of Sausage pizza - Homemade sausage, tomato sauce, marinated green peppers, sauteed onions, mozzarella (like all my pictures please click on the image to see a larger, better version). I ordered the sausage to counter the anticipated sweetness of the cornmeal crust and vegetables. Since it is made fresh to order, we had an awkward waiting period. My poor boyfriend didn’t have a salad and became crankier from hunger by the minute. Words can’t describe how thankful I was when it arrived hot and delicious to the table. The crust was sweet and crunchy.  It was awesome, but I would probably order a cheesier option next time. Since these are loaded slices, 1-2 slices is more than enough.

Ultimately, I think the best plan of action would be to order a variety of pies to go and buy some beers. The atmosphere at Zelo is fun, but pizza and beer at home is sometimes hard to beat. I hope to get the chance to go back again soon to try different toppings (like the Kale or the Corn) and their big puffy Zuccotto dessert. Or, I hope they spread their wings and come out to the west side (wishful thinking).

Zelo Pizzeria
328 E Foothill Blvd
Arcadia, CA 91006
(626) 358-8298

Jin Patisserie

I recently stopped by Jin Patisserie, a pastry boutique on Abbot Kinney. My post won’t give the place justice because I did not sit down in the quiet tea garden or have any of their delicious pastries. However, I know from prior experience that this place is nice. It’s a quiet sanctuary separate from the hippy hustle and bum bustle of the street, an isolated zen-world. The owner, Kristy Choo, is an inspiration. She is a native of Singapore that has baked with some of the best. In 2003, she opened Jin Patisserie, combining her knowledge of traditional Asian recipes with the understanding of the American (specifically the LAian) palate to come up with unique creations.

Sadly, I didn’t have time to sit down and relax. But, I did have time for some green tea. Even when you order tea to go, it is still a thoughtful production. Instead of merely handing you your cup at the register, they ask you to sit down so the tea can properly be steeped (which takes a a few minutes depending on the tea) and then bring out a tray filled with your tea and sugar for your liking. Although such a small detail, it still impressed me.

I cannot remember the name of the green tea I ordered. This is good and bad. It’s good because it shows that there are a lot of tea options. Literally, pages of tea to choose from. It’s bad because I can’t find the tea menu online and this reminds me that I need to start writing things down. However, I am pretty sure you will be happy with whatever tea you order. They use tea from the French company Theodor ( Jin Patisserie is one of approximately 8 locations in the US that sell/use this type of tea).

This place isn’t just tea though. They make cakes, cookies, chocolates, and have a food menu that includes sandwiches and salads. When I was ordering my tea I couldn’t help but notice they had Yek Yek Cookies. I was all like: “What’s a Yek Yek cookie?” Probably a question the counter receives a lot. Apparently they are traditional cookies from Singapore that Jin has a family recipe for. I know, not very helpful. But from it’s description it sounds like a unique soft, shortbread cookie. They also have an eclectic and extensive list of chocolates that I would love to try some day.

Although I can’t remember specifics to what I drank, I do remember that I thoroughly enjoyed my cup of tea. It is the type of place you can go with just a close friend, a romantic date, by yourself, or with a large group (they have Tea Service!).

Jin Patisserie
1202 Abbot Kinney Blvd
Venice, CA 90291
(310) 399-8801

gr/eats

A few weeks ago my boyfriend and I went to lunch at gr/eats after receiving the recommendation of yam fries from Tim. We had no idea that the GR stood for Giant Robot until we arrived and saw the sign (it is also a few feet away from the Giant Robot 2 store, GR2). Giant Robot started as a magazine that focuses on celebrities, musicians, skaters, technology, toys, books, and any other cool aspect of Asian and Asian-American pop culture. Their stores have fun toys, books, t-shirts, stationary and art. GR2 has a rotating art exhibit. They had an exhibit of Susie Ghahremani called “The Wild Life.” I like her designs a lot and keep meaning to buy the Owl To-Do List (Yes, I have a to-do list that says “buy cute owl To-Do list”) The day we were there, there was a cool exhibit for Masakatsu Sashi called “Under Fluorescent Light.” This day was also the first time I heard about Pachinko, a Japanese game that is a mix of a pinball and slot machine! I have completely gone off topic…

I ordered the Iced Green Tea and was pleasantly surprised by it’s bright, dark green color along with the thoughtful bottle of simple syrup (any experienced iced-anything drinker knows that cold drinks and table sugar don’t work well). I loved this green tea so much and was so excited by it that I accidentally dropped my glass, spilling it everywhere, but mostly on my shirt and my face. My boyfriend could not stop laughing. The staff were beyond kind, friendly, and nice about it. They moved us to a new table and cleaned up my embarrassing mess.

We ordered the gr/eats Mixed Fries which are lightly fried mix of shoestring potatoes, yams, and bananas. I love yams. I love bananas. I had to order this. Words can’t describe how disappointed to find only 2 slices of banana fries, but I got over it because the other fries were delicious. Since they were lightly fried, I was able to pick up on the vegetable more than usual fried foods (which deceptively encouraged me to believe that what I was eating was healthy). I enjoyed the yam fries the best, but all three kinds were tasty.

We also ordered the Okra Rolls. I believe okra is an undervalued vegetable and do not see it very often. Maybe I’m not going to the right places, but because I never see it I had to order it here. The okra rolls were composed of chicken, okra, and enoki mushroom wrapped in a lightly fried roll and topped with avocado and a special sauce. This was my favorite of all the things we ordered. Each bite had a crunch, but melted in your mouth. The combination of the chicken, okra, and mushroom brought out each ingredient’s strength and the avocado was like icing on a cake.

I ordered Seared Tuna Sandwich for my main lunch course. It was seared and seasoned sashimi-grade tuna with grilled onion and a light sauce on a roll. I chose a small salad to join this sandwich since we already had fries on the table. The tuna was good and went well with the onion. There was a little too much roll going on, but that might be because I am used to eating tuna solo without a heavy carb accompanying it.

It was a pretty light lunch and I feel like if we had not ordered the appetizers, I would have left hungry. Overall, the place was relaxed, warm, and delicious. I plan to go again someday and try some of their other dishes like the paella or the tofu meatball plate.

gr/eats
2050 Sawtelle Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 478-3242

Talpa and Don Antonio’s

I love Mexican food. I don’t have it as often as I like, but that makes it quite the treat when I do get my taco fix. A few weeks ago my roommate and I were both in the mood for Mexican in close proximity to the home. Usually, we just go to El Cholo, Border Grill,  or La Cabana. Not this time. We wanted to try a different place. We drove down Pico with our hungry eyes wide open looking on both sides of the street. We pulled over when we saw two signs side by side: The Talpa Restaurant and Don Antonio’s Cantina. Was it the same restaurant? Or was it two separate restaurants next to one another? We both checked our phones to see what was up with this situation until we realized we were how silly it was to  be parked right in front of both restaurants looking at our phones for information about the restaurant(s). So we did what any rational person would do: flipped a coin. It landed on the Talpa Restaurant. We walked in but immediately recognized it was not where we wanted to eat for dinner. It reminded me of a pizza place where you order at the register and then sit down at a booth and watch the tv that is hanging on the wall. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but we just wanted a more restaurant-y atmosphere. We awkwardly turned ourselves around explaining to the hostess that we “forgot to lock the car.”

We traipsed over to Don’s where we quickly realized we had made the right decision. It was a little busy, so we put our name down and sat at the bar. But, before we could even order a margarita, our table was ready for us. We sat down while within a few short blinks of the eye a server had brought over water and chips and salsa. I would rate the chips and salsa very high because the chips were warm and the salsa was spicy.

I ordered a margarita to drink (on the rocks with salt) and to eat I decided on the basics: cheese quesadilla, carne asada taco, and a chile relleno.

I wish I could say that this was the best Mexican food I have ever had. But, sadly it is not. I am a taco truck girl and spent my college years eating the best: Leo’s Taco Truck in Eagle Rock. The fact that I spent 8 dollars on a cheese quesadilla is beyond ridiculous. Although it came with guacamole and sour cream, this q-dilla was just too plain and boring for me to ever order again at that price. The taco is the same story. I am used to flavorful carne asada, but this was bland and a little too dry for my palate. The worst was the chile relleno. It was no bueno; soggy and bland.

I don’t like writing bad reviews, but I would return to Don’s. Why would I give them a second chance you ask? Am I crazy? Yes! But, the margarita was great! They cost around six dollars a pop; an amazing price for a non-Happy hour satisfying margarita. Worst comes to worst, they have no good food in which case I would still come back to drink the cheap yummy margaritas and eat the deliciously free chips.

Don Antonio’s
11755 W Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90064
(310) 312-2090