LA Food Sampling
With a free Tuesday and a South Beach foodie event, my friend and I decided to embark upon a day of food sampling around West and South Los Angeles.
I suggest you try out every restaurant listed here, although I have gone to he trouble of eating a lot of their food so I can provide tips for some of the best buys.
1. Breakfast Treat: Beard Papa’s on Palms Blvd.
I had been wanting to try this place for some time. They are basically a gourmet, natural, amazing cream puff bakery. I don’t think anyone can ask for much more out of life. And, you get to “build your own”. I mean come on, this is like the sweet tooth’s heavenly version of build a bear. First you pick a pastry shell: original puff, cocoa puff, cookie puff, eclair puff, or paris brest (which is like a donut version of a churro). Then, depending on the day of the week, you pick your selection of cream fillings. On Tuesday, we had vanilla, hazelnut, chocolate, and dulce de leche (caramel). We decided to try three:
The Eclair Puff with Vanilla Cream.
The Cookie Puff with Dulce de Leche. And the Cocoa Puff with Hazelnut.
The best combination was definitely the cocoa with hazelnut. It was perfect. However, the best puff was the eclair puff. The chocolate topping was delectable. I am a total chocolate snob, and it was really good quality chocolate.
Beard Papa’s is a MUST TRY.
2. Brunch: Huckleberry on Wilshire
A hot spot in Santa Monica, we were very eager to eat here. Fortunately, we could come on a Tuesday and not deal with the lines. I have heard it gets very crowded on weekends. It is a walk up and order counter with only a handful of tables for diners. It is quaint and charming, but I can see how it could get crowded fast. The menu is awesome and they use lots of local ingredients from farmers markets. The pastry case is one to be rivaled. I could have stared at it in wonder for hours. The selection of pastries alone is reason to keep coming back here. I would love to try them all. For my meal I had:
The Fried Egg Sandwich. On their freshly baked country bread, this was a solid choice. The aioli was packed with flavor and the arugula added a nice peppery crisp. Still, it was not the best breakfast sandwich I have ever had. There wasn’t enough bacon (is there ever enough bacon?) and it could do with a little hot sauce. Next time I am there, I will try something different.
Chai Tea Latte with Almond Milk. This was a great chai. They make it in house and I found it very satisfying. It was creamy and warm with the right amount of clove and sweetness.
To share, we tried:
The blueberry cornmeal cake and a cheddar bacon biscuit. Both of these were stellar. The blueberries were so fresh and juicy and paired so well with the crumbly corn cake. The biscuit was flavorful and smoky and wonderful. I would order a dozen of these for my next BBQ.
Huckleberry is a SHOULD TRY
3. Afternoon Snack: Zenbunni Chocolate on Abbot Kinney
This is a tiny little stand down an alleyway on Abbot Kinney. You really have to look for it, but once you find it you feel like you have discovered a secret treasure that belongs all to you. They also give samples. The chocolate itself is vegan and raw, but still creamy and delicious. They are tiny little packages with unique flavors. We had:
The Lavender and the Moonjuice (with maple sugar). Lavender was by far my favorite. Such an interesting mixture of flavors. Warning: Pretty pricey, but worth a try.
Zenbunni is a TRY WHEN YOU CAN.
4. Dinner Time: Little Sister, Dia de Campo, Wildcraft, Abigaile, Steak and Whiskey
We were lucky enough to get invited to a Yelp elite event showcasing some of the South Beach’s best restaurants. We tried muffulettas, bahn mi, mussels, eggplant curry, pork tacos, grilled octopus, pizza, and more. It was, to say the least, tasty. I especially enjoyed the bahn mi. It was done so well and tasted so fresh and rich at the same time. Still, my favorite had to be:
The mole pork taco from Die de Campo. They just do it right. The slightly pickled veggies, the kick of the jalapeno, the melt in your mouth pork...enough said.
Die de Campo is a MUST TRY
Abigaile is a MUST TRY (particularly for the rooftop deck!)
Little Sister a SHOULD TRY
Steak and Whiskey is a TRY WHEN YOU CAN
Wildcraft is a TRY WHEN YOU CAN