JuJu…and peanut butter.

I was lost but now I am found. I’m sure I’ve led a lot of people to believe that I lounge around my apartment eating peanut butter (and frosting). But the truth is, I rarely eat peanut butter. I love the taste of it, but for so long have I have not included it into my meal rotation. At least that was until this past weekend. My boyfriend and I spent a lazy Sunday morning at one of our favorite breakfast places: JuJu (the cereal bar! remember?) I walked in sleepy eyed knowing that I wanted to change my bowl. I wanted more than just fruit, milk, and cereal. Instead of exponentially increasing my chances of adult onset diabetes by ordering the frosted flakes with chocolate syrup, gummi bears, and and chocolate milk, I chose this crazy concoction: Hemp granola, peanut butter puffins, bananas, blueberries, skim milk, and PEANUT BUTTER. I had no idea what to expect and was a little hesitant about the milk and peanut butter. But, when I saw the prepared bowl, I knew it was going to be okay. In fact, it was a perfect combination of taste and textures: yummy, chewy, creamy, crunchy, gooey, chunky, etc. I know some might consider me crazy, but… so be it. Peanut butter is amazing. If you don’t believe me, it’s okay because I have found others like me: Peanut Butter Lovers.

I’ve gone beyond just ordering it on the weekends. Inspired by my bowl at JuJu and by Diana Takes A Bite’s recipe, I went out and bought some peanut butter. Like Diana, I add the peanut butter to my morning oatmeal breakfast. She has a more developed recipe; I have lazily stuck to adding just bananas and peanut butter - for now. It has made a world of difference on elevating my energy. Also, in combination with the morning coffee, it has quite the thermogenic effect on my body, which is nice because it’s so cold in the morning these days!

JuJu Cereal Bar
1248 Westwood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 474-8571

Silver Lake: Local

Seriously, the name of this restaurant is Local. Even though it is not local for me, Local is worth the trip. Local has been open since September 2nd, 2008 and was only breakfast and lunch until a few days ago, now they also serve dinner. Local was opened by the executive chef behind Cobras and Matadors, Jason Michaud. Through internet research I have found out that Michaud is one cool guy; along with working in restaurants for the greater part of his life he was also a drummer in the metal math bands Spilth and Men of Porn. Metal math is experimental rock that is mostly guitars and drums and is complex, atypical rhythmic structures including irregular stops and starts, angular melodies, and dissonant chords. The mission statement behind this restaurant is genuine: committed to using local, organic products as much as possible. Local goes beyond just food and also uses antiques for furniture, energy efficient lighting, glassware (no plastic table cups), and the food for takeout rides in biodegradable plastic plates, bowls, and cups (made of potato and/or sugar cane, like these!). Bad ass.

It sits somewhere between Silver Lake Lounge and Dusty’s on the other side of the road on Sunset. I made my visit on a Wednesday at approximately 12:00pm. For lunchtime it wasn’t as packed as I thought it was going to be, but there was still a good number of hip Silver Lakers (or is it Silver Lakians?). It is the type of restaurant where you order at the counter, take your number, find seating and wait for the food to arrive. However, there are servers around to refill your water, get you silverware, napkins, condiments, or anything else you might need. It is a small/medium sized restaurant. Everyone that was working there (which were all guys) were above and beyond friendly and were obviously passionate about the restaurant. I think this is important to stress because when people show that they are invested and care about what they are doing (in general, not just food), it makes the whole experience much more enjoyable for everyone involved. Good tingling feelings. I was told that it gets packed on the weekends - I hope that they are just as friendly and outgoing under crowded conditions!

As you can see there is an organic salad bar. The fact that this salad bar is organic makes it a million times better than any other salad bar I have been to before (Whole Foods). After getting the recommendation for my meal of “everything is good”, I decided upon the Rocky Jr. Free Range Chicken Sandwich and an Iced Coffee. On the menu, there is no description of what is in the Rocky Jr. Free Range Chicken Sandwich, so it was an exciting surprise! Rocky Jr. is a free range, younger chicken that weighs on average three and half pounds and roams in spacious growth houses (not outside because they are young and partially feathered). The chicken is cooked with herbs and joined with fresh, perfect tomatoes, daikon sprouts, pickles, and sprinkled with salt. It sits between a bun that I don’t recognize but tasted like Hawaiian bread (yellowish insides) with sesame seeds on top. It was a big sandwich, one that requires two hands to eat. At first intimidating,  after the first bite it becomes a challenge you want to take on and conquer. Instead of fries, I opted for a salad with a roasted red pepper purée on the side. It was all delicious. The salt really made the flavors in the tomatoes and pickles pop out. I would order it again. The iced coffee is made from Alessandro beans. Unfortunately, I cannot find anything on the internet about Alessandro coffee; let’s hope it’s organic too! (Free refills on Iced Coffee).

In regards to what is organic and what is not, it varies week by week because large shipments of organic food is not common right now in the restaurant world. The guy I talked to about organic food said that they try their best and want to go completely organic, but at this point in time they have to make do with the situation. The price of organic food is high, thus the prices on the menu are higher. My meal totaled to be around 17 dollars.  I know, pricey, but it really is not too much more than most trendy Los Angeles breakfast/lunch places, so I don’t think it should be a big deal if you go to other expensive places already. If you look at it as being preventative maybe it will make you feel better: paying extra now so you don’t have to pay later in health and medical bills. Go to Local!

Local keeps things interesting; check out what I found in the bathroom! The statue/boy definitely scared me at first, but then I laughed about how creepy it is.

Here are some poor quality pictures I took of their menu (like all my pictures, click on them to make larger):

Local
2943 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(323) 662-4740

Hours
Breakfast and Lunch: 9am-3pm
Dinner: 5pm-10pm
They take credit cards!

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

Osteria Mozza

I have been wanting to eat at Osteria Mozza for a long time and was ecstatic when I found out my boyfriend made reservations for my birthday. Mozza is owned by by Mario Batali, Joseph Bastianich, and Nancy Silverton; a trifecta of talent. If you watch Iron Chef you probably have already recognized the name Mario Batali. For those who are not familiar with Batali, he is considered King of Italian cuisine (19 wins out of 23 Iron Chef competitions). Joseph Bastianich is the guy behind the wine, son of chef Lidia Bastianich. Bastianich started with a future in Wall Street (bond trader at Merrill Lynch), but after spending a year in Italy working on vineyards and restaurants he returned with with different goal in life. Nancy Silverton is an American chef/baker who co-founded La Brea Bakery.

Batali and Bastianich own a few other restaurants together: New York: Babbo, Lupa Osteria Romana, Esca, Casa Mono / Bar Jamón, Otto Enoteca Pizzeria, Del Posto,  along with Italian Wine Merchants; Las Vegas: B&B Ristorante, Enoteca San Marco, and Carnevino (their first steakhouse); Los Angeles: Osteria Mozza and Pizzeria Mozza.

When we arrived at 8pm, the place was already packed and happening. Luckily, within minutes we were seated in a small and intimate room away from the noisy bar / main seating area. Mozza asks that you place your complete order all at once (everything but dessert) so they can appropriately pace your dinner. I enjoyed this method, but I also looked and translated the menu at home so I came to the restaurant with a few ideas of what I was going to order, but wanted to see what the waiter would recommend and/or if there were any specials.

I do not have many great pictures because it was too dark for flash-less photography. So I have included links to photographs other people have taken of exactly what I ordered. I apologize for the inconvenience, but take the time to look at the links.

Antipasti - Grilled Octopus with fingerling potatoes, mizuna, celery & lemon

I have never had octopi before, but loved it. Although you would assume that it would taste rubbery (like squid), it did not. The texture of mine tasted almost softer than chicken, but with a slightly difference in taste. It paired very well with the lemon vinegary dressing on top of the vegetables. Through research I have found that they marinate the octopus in oil and wine corks. Many Italian chefs believe that wine corks help tenderize the tentacles and so they include them in the braising liquid. Whatever it is that tenderizes, it works. I would order this again. It was one of my favorite dishes of the night.

Mozzarella Bar - Burrata from Basilicata w leeks & fett ‘unta

Burrata in Italian means “buttered.” It is a fresh cheese made from mozzarella and cream. It comes to the table looking like a big white balloon of goodness. The outer shell of it is a solid mozzarella, but one cut and you will find the cream and mozzarella ooze of awesomeness. Fett’unta is just bread soaked in olive oil and garlic. Since it was flown in the night before fom Basilicata, a region in the South of Italy, it tasted fresh! It was quite a large portion for two people, but we made the most of it. Yum!

Primi - Fresh Ricotta & Egg Raviolo with browned butter

I had no idea what to expect with this dish, but the waiter highly recommended it and after the first bite, I learned why. The ricotta, egg, and butter just melts in the mouth. It was also a delight to cut open (like the Burrata) and watch the egg ooze out. The butter really made this dish go above and beyond. This is one meal where I would be very hesitant to make at home (the egg), which makes it even more enjoyable.

Secondi - Sweetbreads piccata with artichokes and black kale

Sweetbreads are the thymus glands of lamb, beef, or pork. Piccata means sliced, sautéed, and served in a sauce containing lemon, butter, and spices. I do not have much experience with sweetbreads, except that my mom always orders them at Landis Store. Since I trust my mom’s sophisticated palette and believed the waiter’s vehement recommendation, I had to choose it for my entree. It was perfect in taste, soft and chewy in texture. It went so well with the artichokes, black kale, and olives (I love artichokes). I even got my boyfriend to try it, but of course I did not tell him what part of the animal it was from until after he took a bite and agreed it tasted good.

Dolci - Bombolini lemon crema & frutti di bosco sorbetto

Bombolini’s are basically Italian doughnut holes. Lightly sugared, soft, and satisfying. Paired well with the crema and sorbetto. Frutti di bosco is Italian for “Fruit of the forrest/woods,” but translates as mixed berries.

Digestivo - Profumi della Costiera, Nicola Mansi Limoncello 1L

I have never had Limoncello before, but am very glad I had the chance to because it was wonderful. Nothing better than a sweet beginning and a warm hot finish.

BEST BIRTHDAY DINNER EVER.

Osteria Mozza
6602 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90038

Get Directions(323) 297-0100

Note: If you want to make reservations, you must call exactly one month ahead. However, the four bars located inside accept walk-ins, but first come first serve so be early or ready to wait.

Eagle Rock: Colorado Wine Company

I love the Colorado Wine Company. So much, in fact that I need to say it again… I love the Colorado Wine Company! I have been going there ever since it first opened in 2005. Not only are the owners, John and Jen, some of the sweetest and most friendly people, but anyone that has worked or currently works there, are also great people.

I tried to think of the main reason behind why I enjoy Colorado Wine Company, but found that I am unwilling to settle on just one. Instead, I have made a list:

- I already mentioned that the owners/staff are amazing (but it is worth repeating).
- The atmosphere is organized, intimate, and cozy.
- The prices of wines by the glass are reasonable.
- I am always able to find a great bottle within my 8-15 dollar price range.
- I am always able to get a great recommendation for the aforementioned bottle; very knowledgeable people!
- Nobody judges your palate, there is “Wine For Everyone.”
- The art on the walls is constantly changing and showcasing talented, local artists.
- I always make a new friend while I am there; the people who I meet are laid back, friendly, and fun.
- Parking is rarely a problem.
- They send out witty newsletters and have a beautiful and active website.

This past Friday I went to their weekly tasting with my roommate. The tagline to the tasting was “Happy Thoth Day!” in celebration of the first day of Thoth, the ibis-headed god of knowledge, in the Egyptian calendar. The best reason to raise your glass! Here is the list of the wines in order of how they were served:

1. Tangent Sauvignon Blanc 2006, Edna Valley, California
2. Mr. Riggs Riesling 2006, Clare Valley, Australia
3. Lonardi Valpolicella 2004, Verona, Italy
4. Wisteria Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, California
5. Earthworks Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, Barossa Valley, Australia

I am not going to go into great detail about how each one tasted, but instead want to stress that they were all delicious! These are the quick notes I wrote later in the evening about the wines: Favorites are 1, 3, 5. Tangent was sweet, perfect to start the tasting. Mr. Riggs was not as sweet as I expected for a Riesling, but quite satisfying. The Valpolicella was great, light in taste. Wisteria was good, but where does it come from? Earthworks was full bodied and pleasant, could drink a lot more of it.

The Co Wine Co is one of the remaining reasons, aside from a few friends in the area, that I return to Eagle Rock. When I am on that side of town, I always try to stock up on some inexpensively priced wines. I am willing to pay more here than I would at Trader Joe’s because I know that John and Jen have put a lot of time and effort into choosing amazing wines and I fully trust their judgment and selection (in comparison to me just choosing wines by which one has the cooler label). I came home with bottles Tangent and Valpolicella from the tasting, and two other bottles that I found around the store that looked good.

Whether to pick up a bottle, sit down for a glass, or have a cold one from their impressive beer selection (No Bud Lite here), I encourage everyone to visit Colorado Wine Company! Check out their website (also sign up for their newsletters) to see what event works best for your schedule. I have included information on two of their weekly tastings and their hours of operation, but I know they offer events on other days so it is best take a look at their event calendar.

Friday Wine Tastings (5 wines; 15 dollars) - 5:30-8:30pm

Lazy Sunday Tastings (4 wines; 12 dollars) - 1:00-4:00pm

Store Hours
Monday: Closed
Tuesday & Wednesday: 11:00am-9:00pm
Thursday-Saturday: 11:00am-11:00pm
Sunday: 11:00am-5:00pm

Wine Bar Hours
Monday: Closed
Tuesday & Wednesday: 4:00-9:00pm
Thursday-Friday: 4:00-11:00pm
Saturday: 1:00-11:00pm
Sunday: 1:00-5:00pm

Colorado Wine Company
2114 Colorado Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90041
(323) 478-1985

Scoops

A minor goal in life right now is to have tried every flavor of ice cream offered by Scoops. So far, sooooo good! It is my new favorite place to return to. I do not think I will ever grow tired of their ice cream.

Twice in the past month I have been to there. The first time I ordered a One Scoop + One (4 scoops): Brown Bread, Green Tea and Coconut, Salty Dulce de Leche, and a vegan Lingonberry. I have had the Brown Bread ice cream before and always enjoy it’s Grape Nuts sweetness. The Green Tea and Coconut was not as tart as I expected (probably because of all the Pinkberry and Frogo I have had lately). The coconut was very subtle to me, but I still loved the green tea taste. I enjoyed the flavors greatly and would order them all again. The Salty Dulce de Leche might have been my favorite. It was a salty sweetened milk candy taste. I was hesitant about the vegan ice cream, especially since I have no idea what Lingonberry is supposed to taste like, and was combining it with non-vegan flavors. It turned out to be a creamy delightful flavor that worked well perfectly with the other flavors; much better than Soy Dream and all those other soy ice creams you can buy at the supermarket.

The second visit I ordered a One Scoop + One: Chocolate Raspberry, White Chocolate with Pomegranate Swirls, Strawberry Balsamic, and Peanut Butter & Dates. In comparison to the aforementioned One Scoop + One, these four flavors grouped together worked a little better with one another. The Chocolate Raspberry was rich and strong in flavor as if I were actually eating raspberries with a dark chocolate sauce. The pomegranate swirls in the White Chocolate with Pomegranate Swirl actually tasted like it was made from pomegranate and not just a high fructose flavored syrup. The Strawberry Balsamic was a light pink delight of creamy goodness with tiny pieces of real strawberries that gave it’s fresh strawberry flavor. The dates in the Peanut Butter and Dates gave the scoop an amazing thicker texture that teamed well with the subtle peanut butter flavor.

During both visits the service was very friendly and accommodating of my urge to sample everything and indecisive nature.

Scoops

712 N Heliotrope Dr
Los Angeles, CA 90029

Get Directions(323) 906-2649

The Best Way to End the Day of Your First Half Marathon

After running a half marathon, walking around Balboa Park, eating a large quantity of amazing food, and car ride home to Los Angeles, there was only one thing left I needed to make the day complete.