Bodega Wine Bar

Lookin for a place to grab a drink that has decent bar food? Check this place out. Bodega is a wine bar, perfect for an after work happy hour or a late night drinks date. Not for the wine aficionado, it's just a casual place made for a relaxing, fun time. The wine list is split up by price and type to make selection easy. When we were there we had this pepperoni & mushroom pizza they were playing House Party on the tv.

Bodega

290 Sunset Boulevard (@ Vine)
Los Angeles, CA 90028
323.464.3400

www.bodegawinebar.com

India Sweets and Spices

So I wouldn't so much call this place a restaurant as it's more of a cafeteria/grocery store. Definitely a more non-traditional place for Andy and I to get Sunday brunch, but why not!?

I honestly couldn't tell you what we ate but, whatever it was, it was delicious. Maybe one of you Indian readers our there could help me identify what I ate!!

My favorite thing about this place was the fact that I could see all the food just like in a cafeteria so I felt comfortable experimenting. I love Indian food but usually I stick to what i know: chicken tikka masala, pulao rice, garlic naan... This place got me to try new and exciting flavors!

India Sweets and Spices

3126 Los Feliz Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90039

www.indiasweetsandspices.us

The Mercantile

This salad was billiant. Burrata, homemade croutons, grilled peaches...done. Awesome.

The Mercantile is a sweet spot in LA that serves lunch, dinner and a killer weekend brunch. I think this salad was a special menu item that may no longer be available but none the less you should still check this spot out. I've had their brunch croquet madam and it's just rediculous. Would be a great date spot too!

The Mercantile

6600 Sunset Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90028

(323) 962-8202

www.themercantilela.com

Aroma

A valley hot spot for lunch is Aroma. If you live in the valley, you've been to Aroma. If you don't and you haven't, you must. Pretty sure it's the sister restaurant to my fave The Alcove in Los Feliz. Similar menu and feel but not quite the same. I had their special summer salad and it was to die for. Grilled peaches, chicken, cashews, goat cheese and raspberry vinaigrette. To diiiie for.

Aroma

4360 Tujunga ave.

Studio City, California 91604

www.aromacoffeeandtea.com

Hukleberry

This is one of the cutest places in Santa Monica. This little bakery and cafe has some of the best looking pastries I've ever seen. I was salivating...salivation station. The sandwich was one of the best ever too. A Marinated peppers & burrata sandwich with prosciutto. Burrata is everywhere right now, and for a reason. If you have yet to try it, do yourself a favor and get on it! It's so soft and melty, ahhh. Anyway, I will be going back to this place. I can't wait to try their lemon pistachio cake!

Huckleberry

1014 Wilshire Blvd

Santa Monica, CA 90404

www.hukleberrycafe.com

Little Dom's Deli

Most people familiar with Little Dom's know about it's awesome dinner menu and Monday night supper (a fixed 3 course dinner for $15 plus a bottle of wine for only $12!) but they aren't familiar with the little room next door: Little Dom's Deli. This is a great place to pop in and pick up a freshly made deli sandwich and side dish. The sandwiches we got were fabulous. Hearty and delicious. We weren't too keen on the potato salad, but it won't deter us from going back and trying another salad! They also have fresh margherita pizzas with different toppings, and a ton of different pastries for those looking for a quick morning bite.

Little Dom's

2128 Hillhurst Ave.

Los Feliz, CA 90027

Hours:
Breakfast, Lunch all day, 8am - 3pm
Sunday-Thursday, 6pm - 11pm
Friday and Saturday, 6pm - 12am

OlivA Trattoria

Family Night! We went out to dinner to our favorite little Italian restaurant nearby. They have the best tomato soup ever! This place is great for family outings or a romantic dinner for 2. Everything is pretty Italian, including the waiters. They're friendly, knowledgable and fast! That's what I look for in a restaurant. Good service! Check this place out!

Mom had the tomato soup

Dad had the salmon

Chyna had the lobster pasta special

I think I had the pappardelle special with sausage...I think..

(sorry about the bad photo!)

OlivA Trattoria

4449 Van Nuys Blvd
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403

(818) 789-4490

www.olivarestaurant.com

Fig & Olive

Words to describe Fig & Olive: cool, crisp, clean, fresh, airy, bright, light, relaxing. The high ceilings, white walls and an abundance of rosemary plants create an atmosphere unlike any other restaurant I've been to. I felt like I was on vacation. A small hustle and bustle and a 50 ft bar make it a place to have fun too. We went for brunch, but I'll definitely go back to try some other menu items.

FIG & OLIVE

8490 Melrose Pl

West Hollywood, CA 90069

(310) 360-9100

http://www.figandolive.com/locations-reservation/melrose-place/

Hostaria del Piccolo

This place is adorable inside. Everything looks as if it's made with recycled driftwood. The walls, the tables, the ceilings... it's awesome. The food was good too. My friend Vanessa and I went there to grab lunch and ordered their two gluten free pizzas. They were super healthy, covered in veggies, but also delicious. We ate every crumb. I'd love to go back here to have dinner on their back patio. It looks relaxed and fun out there :)

Hostaria del Piccolo

606 Broadway Street

Santa Monica, CA 90401

www.hostariadelpiccolo.com

Best BBQ I've Ever Had!

birthday party bus!

birthday boy

we ate too much!

I've never been to a restaurant where every thing I tried blew me away, until I went to Porky's. This is hands down the best BBQ I've ever had. My friend Brenden tried it for the first time a few weeks ago and decided he wanted to go back for his birthday and have all his friends try it too. There were 16 of us who shared a value platter which has pretty much everything on the menu...and then we ordered a few other things! Be warned, it was a lot of food and we had tons leftover. Everything from the dirty rice, to the greens, to the pulled pork was fantastic. I can't wait to go back!!!!

Porky's BBQ

362 W 6th St
San Pedro, CA 90731

(310) 521-9999

www.ribs123.com

Little Next Door

Croque Madame
(w/egg, sunny side up)

Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict

Spinach Omelet
Spinach, tomato confit, goat cheese and pesto

This charming restaurant serves breakfast and lunch in a small French bakery and coffee shoppe atmosphere with a beautiful front patio covered in green vines. It's dinner spot next door, Little Door, is easily one of the most romantic places in town and this spot is a close second. With real French waiters, you'll feel like you stepped into a little Parisian restaurant with delicious food that takes you straight to Paris.

Little Next Door

8164 West 3rd Street

Los Angeles, CA 90048

http://www.thelittledoor.com/lndcontact.html

Simple Things

banana cream pie

cherry pie

pork philly

quinoa & eggs

sausage benedict

veggie #2 sandwich

Thanksgiving sandwich and chicken salad

NEW FAVORITE RESTAURANT! It's ADORBS, I wanna live in it. Everything from their yellow mugs, glass coffee cups and grey tufted seats to their food is perfect. Simple Things is a sandwich and pie shop in West Hollywood perfect for a long lunch with friends. 4 friends and I met here for lunch last week and had the best time. Everyone loved their meals and left happy! Definitely the best pie I've ever had in my life. TO DIE! :)

Simple Things

8310 W 3rd St
Los Angeles, CA 90048

(323) 592-3390

www.simplethingsrestaurant.com

Brunch @ AOC

The ladies who brunch

duck confit and wild mushroom hash with
poached eggs and aged balsamic

hangar steak and eggs - over artichoke hash
with black olive hollandaise

soft-scrambled eggs with fontina,
crème fraîche and chives

toasted brioche with gruyère, prosciutto,
frisée and egg

Better known as a place to go for fine wine and dinner, AOC is now serving up my favorite meal, BRUNCH! I couldn't believe how delicious this food was. The menu is divine, serving things like wood oven baked pancake with blueberries, pistachio and candied meyer lemon; and wood oven baked frittata with hook's cheddar, young broccoli and gremolata (no idea what that is). I can't wait to go back and try it all! Do yourself a favor and check this place out, and don't forget to order their grilled berry bread and butter!

AOC

8022 West Third Street
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 653-6359

www.aocwinebar.com

Monday Night Supper at Lou

These pictures pretty much sum up our evening. I think we went out to celebrate something, but I can't remember what. It was a pretty memorable dinner though! I love prefixed menus. They force me to try things I wouldn't otherwise order. In this case, it was the pan-fried sole. It was in a delicious pea tendril broth that almost out-shined the fish! This hidden restaurant in a strip mall next to a laundromat has an extensive menu of wines by the glass and a weekly Monday night supper! Check it out.

Lou

724 Vine Street
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 962-6369

www.louonvine.com