Espresso Profeta, REVISITED, Westwood

Last week I stopped at Espresso Profeta about 5 minutes before closing, so I couldn’t do a proper post. Today on the way home we stopped by again so I could finally try the Cafe Nico.

Sadly, all the tables inside were occupied by people on laptops, or else I would have stayed longer and ordered more things. I guess I will have to come back again, because now that I know they have the white velvet on the menu, I can’t wait to try it! If you read about my Seattle Coffee Crawl then you know how much I loved the white velvet at Vivace.

As I mentioned last time, the ordering space is really intimate so you can totally see your drink being made right in front of you. And when you order a Cafe Nico the experience is even cooler because of the orange zest and preparation.

I liked the Cafe Nico. It is really refreshing to know that you can get Vivace style drinks without the trip to Seattle. Next time? I’ll all over the white velvet.

Espresso Profeta

1129 Glendon Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90024

(310) 208-3375

Bonjour French Pastry, Harbor Gateway, Torrance

I have a new Panda friend. And this Panda friend (who shall remain nameless for the time being – all in due time) told me that Bonjour French Pastry was better than Patisserie Chantilly! Say what?!? As you know, Patisserie Chantilly is my ULTIMATE! Especially this dessert featured below. Patisserie Chantilly? I loves you!

After Bludso’s, since we weren’t incredibly far from Torrance we decided to check out Bonjour French Pastry. Plus, it also gave us a chance to visit Marukai Market down the street. Located within a strip mall, it wasn’t as big as I thought it would be. There were only about four tables and they were all full, meaning there was nowhere to sit. Sadness.

Anyway, I ordered a mango cake and it was packed in a paper bag to go with a fork. As I found myself outside, I decided to just sit on one of the benches outside and eat it.

The cake was good. Really. I enjoyed my mango cake. However, it wasn’t as amazing as Chantilly, and this could be partly due to the fact that it was windy and it was hard eat the cake without having it on a solid surface. Would I go back to Bonjour French Pastry? Probably not. It was good, but it certainly wasn’t Patisserie Chantilly. You better step it up Panda Friend! 

Bonjour French Pastry

18222 S Western Ave

Gardena, CA 90248

(310) 323-1468

Bludso’s BBQ, Straight out of Compton

For whatever reason, Tony C. has been blessed with being able to find the places that people wont really be talking about until a year later. That is the case with Bludso’s BBQ. Not only was he FTR, but he wrote about this place back in 2008! So, here I am in 2010, and I finally made it out to Bludso’s in Compton.

Now, to be fair, Tony is not the only person I had heard about this place from, and he wasn’t the first person I heard about it from. I’m not sure who the first person was, but for the past 8 months or so I’ve kept hearing Bludso’s being mentioned on blogs, Twitter, from friends, etc. On my birthday last year, Larry made a pretty hard sell, telling us that he was planning a trip out to Compton and how we should all go with him. He told us it was safe, and there was a church next door he had visited (yeah. LARRY), and that the BBQ here was incredible. For whatever reason, I passed, but always kept this place on my “I want to try it” list. Then the JGold article came out, so I figured I should get with it.

There are only about 5 stools to sit at the counter, and when we arrived they were all occupied…by Asians. Trufax! Among the three of us we ordered the sampler platter which lets you try everything and includes two sides. Did I mention that this only costs $25? What a deal! We were really hungry, and we ate and ate, yet still had plenty to take home.

I don’t have a lot of pictures from our adventure at Bludso’s because it was really cramped and I just wanted to eat! We were lucky enough to score seats at the counter right when our order was ready, which worked out really well. Otherwise we would have had to eat in the car or something. Oh, and did I mention that when you order your meat, each person also gets a couple of slices of Wonderbread, a napkin, and a wetnap in a plastic bag? That pretty much sealed the deal on the authenticity of this place!

So basically, what can I say that hasn’t been said before? Bludso’s is all kinds of awesome and one of those gems within the City of Angels. I think the best bet is to order the sampler and split among friends because you get to try everything. Most everyone was picking up orders to go because of the seating situation. Just FYI! Have a plan B location in mind in case you can’t score one of the 5 seats!

Bludso’s BBQ

811 S Long Beach Blvd.

Compton, CA 90221

(310) 637-1342

Bricks and Scones, Larchmont Blvd, Los Angeles

I don’t know how I first heard of Bricks and Scones, but it had been on my “I kind of really want to check it out” list for a while. Finally last weekend I made it out to Larchmont Blvd. to look for this place, unsure what to expect.

Sure, the name is cute, but would those scones compare to the ones I had in Victoria, BC at the James Bay Tea Room? Those were pretty special. One day I will make it back there…

When I got to Bricks and Scones, I was surprised to see that this place was PACKED! There wasn’t anywhere to sit inside, on the second floor, or outside. The thing is, most people were loitering or taking up a table meant for 4, when it was just them and their laptop. Seriously people, use some common sense! Your laptop is not your dining companion, and therefore does not need its own table and chair. D’uh!

As I ordered, I was sad to find out that the guy in front of me (and his laptop) had just ordered the last one. The one that I had been eying the whole time I was in line. I was told that they were mixing some more scones but it would be a while. So, I ordered a red velvet cupcake and was informed that they were sold out. I pointed to the one in the case by the door and was informed it was their sample. Facepalm.

I ended up ordering some wonderfully refreshing iced tea (really, it was wonderful), a carrot cupcake and an espresso muffin. The carrot cupcake was fantastic!!!!! Loved it! Plus, it was really decent in price! By the pastry case, there is a sign saying that “mom” bakes all the pastries, and its true! I saw her back there baking! MOM AND POP = FTW!

I also ordered a muffin made with Intelligentsia coffee beans! Wow! I had never eaten anything quite like that muffin. It was definitely a new experience! Really awesome! In case you can’t tell by now, I completely loved Bricks and Scones! Totally mom and pop but totally gourmet at the same time! I can’t wait to go back and hopefully try a scone and possibly score a table inside!

Bricks and Scones

403 N Larchmont Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90004

www.bricksandscones.com

Cupcake Wars on the Food Network needs YOU!

As you know, I don’t bake. Ha! I don’t even cook! But, I do appreciate a good cupcake and so does the Food Network! The Food Network is currently casting a show called “Cupcake Wars” which is like Iron Chef meets Cupcakes. Well…maybe more like a throwdown, but without Bobby Flay…

***

New Food Network show “Cupcake Wars” is casting bakers for their new competition series.  Calling all bakers NATIONWIDE!!!     

(Store Owners, Caterers, Pastry Chefs, New Bakers…)

The winner will have their cupcakes featured at a HOLLYWOOD EVENT and receive WORLDWIDE PRESS!

Looking for AMAZING personalities!!!!  All ages!!!!  Men and Women!!

TO BE CONSIDERED PLEASE EMAIL:

Your name

phone number

(photos and website if available)

and what makes you the perfect candidate for

“Cupcake Wars”

to

supercupcakecasting@gmail.com

Espresso Cielo, My NEW Favorite Coffee Shop, Using 49th Parallel Beans, Santa Monica

My graduation weekend celebration ended in the best possible way. By now, you know I like good coffee at indie shops and you know I love Vancouver. So what happens when you combine both? A unique and lovely indie shop brewing Vancouver’s finest, 49th Parallel, aptly called Espresso Cielo. Yes, this place is pretty much heaven on Earth.

This cafe is brand new and the only reason I knew about it, is because Tyler from Intelli told me. Coincidentally, Tyler is now my favorite barista, despite the fact he has never made me a drink. Trufax! Yesterday? Profeta. Today? Espresso Cielo! What’s next Tyler?

I had a little bit of trouble finding this place because the only address I had for it led me to a barber shop. It turns out this place is right on the corner and they will get proper signage very soon. 

The first thing I noticed were the pastries which happened to be from Cake Monkey! I talk about CM as much as possible on this blog. I love their pastries! And, they can’t be found just anywhere! I got a muffin which was perfect. We shared some other pastries which were all great.

Then again, when is Cake Monkey not great?

I ordered a mocha latte because lately I have been ordering lattes instead of iced coffee. This was THE BEST latte I have ever had. EVER. I thought Profeta was excellent (it still is) but Espresso Cielo was just on a different level. It was amazing. Unicorns and rainbows!

As I sat there drinking my latte and eating my muffin, I looked around the shop just to take it all in. Every detail is special. Starting with this clock on the back wall. So simple, yet so nice.

Since I prefer my coffee shaken, not stirred, I decided to order a second round. As you know, the Angeleno is my usual at Intelli. I went to the counter, unsure of how to order what I wanted. I don’t know exactly what makes up an Angeleno (I’m a coffee doofus, remember?) so I asked for my coffee iced, with agave, milk, and finally, I just said I wanted something that tasted like my usual Angeleno. The girl at the counter had an Angeleno once and was able to replicate it based on taste alone, even adding the appropriate espresso! It was excellent! Perfection! I loved it!

I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to stay inside this shop which allowed me to escape the thoughts of lesson plans, emails I have to return, dry cleaning I need to pick up, and finalizing plans for my next trip to Vancouver. And speaking of Vancouver…

As I mentioned previously, this place is using beans from Vancouver’s finest! 49th Paralell! There are only three places in the United States using 49th Parallel, and Espresso Cielo is the only place in California. THAT is really impressive.

Oh, and in case you didn’t catch it…they have Agave…major score!

The barista pictured below told us that he used to live in Seattle and worked at Vivace (which I visited last month). He really knows his stuff! The owner is pictured below as well. She told me that she pretty much has opened up the coffee shop of her dreams…and in doing so, she pretty much opened up the coffee shop of my dreams too. Thank you.

Espresso Cielo

3101 Main Street

Santa Monica, CA 90405

(310) 314-9999

www.espressocielo.com

Graduation Dinner, 2010 Edition: Parks BBQ, Koreatown

As you know by now, I believe in education, or else I wouldn’t have a career in it. I’ve graduated quite a few times in my life: Elementary, Junior High, High School, Associates Degree, Bachelors, and now my Masters. After each ceremony it becomes tradition to go somewhere nice for dinner. My parents let me pick ANY place that I want, regardless of cost. For my BA, we flew to Vegas because I really wanted to eat at Enoteca San Marco (which was brand new at the time).

Today I participated in what I think will probably be my last graduation ceremony as a graduate. Afterwards, I got to choose where we went for dinner. The original plan was to fly to Vegas, have dinner somewhere super fancy, and then on Sunday I would see AFI in concert. I bought my ticket a while ago, and was really looking forward to it. As it got closer to my graduation date, I started to realize that missing work on Monday would not be a good idea. It would totally throw off my kids because they are in the middle of a novel and a project. I guess maybe this means I am a responsible teacher. I’m not going to sugarcoat it. I’m extremely sad about missing my favorite band at such a small venue. However, I’m taking one for the team. I’m not a college kid anymore. I’m a teacher, a professional, a graduate, and I have a responsibility to my kids. I’m keeping my ticket instead of selling it. I’ll proudly display it in my classroom and hope that one day I’ll be able to see them at a small venue. I better start talking about KBBQ before I start to cry about missing Davy, Hunter, Smith, and Jade. Live. In concert. At a small venue…singing my favorite songs…:’(

ANYWAY! Today I thought maybe Mozza would be good, but we go there a lot already, so it isn’t special anymore. My mom said maybe we should go to Lazy Ox, but again, we’ve been there. I wanted something new and started trying to remember places on my “I must try this place ASAP” list. Pizzeria Ortica sounded like a great choice, but they didn’t open until 5pm. Then I remembered Cube LA and their cheese, but I was hungry for more than just cheese. I wanted meat, but I didn’t want to go to Lawry’s. Then my beautiful mother suggested Parks BBQ, which I have been hearing really good things about! Korean BBQ is one of my favorite things ever! Then I remembered Danny’s post about Road to Seoul which was also close by. 

Unsure as to which one was the better of the two, I turned to the Twitterverse to ask and thanks to Julian, Danny, and SK learned that if I wanted something special, Parks was the place to go, particularly because it was my graduation day, and I deserved to indulge.

Here was Danny’s response: @LadyDucayne @djjewelz normally I’d say Road To Seoul, but tonight, Park’s! Like what @djjewelz said, “high class it!”

And “high class it” I did! The only problem is, I don’t think I will ever want to go anywhere else! Parks was amazing! I love Korean BBQ with a passion and have eaten it ever since I can remember. I’ve tried many KBBQ restaurants throughout my life. I even went to this really ghetto place my (now) ex-boyfriend suggested that was like a converted house. I wish I remembered the name, but it was in Northridge. 

SK initially suggested we order the seafood pancake. After ordering everything, I checked Twitter only to see that he had made some more suggestions! It turned out that we had already ordered most of what he suggested! Great minds…

I could go on and on and tell you about each banchan dish and the meats and the flavors, but the bottom line is, this place is great. I have eaten at countless KBBQ places throughout the City of Angels and beyond. I can say that at this point in my life, I’m throwing in the towel. Parks BBQ has now become my most favorite place for Korean BBQ. I haven’t been to Road to Seoul, but it would have to be pretty magical to be better than Parks! I still want to try Road’s AYCE Korean BBQ though!

Today we had the Kobe “Style” Beef, Kalbi, Pork Belly (OMGZ) and Seafood Pancake. Along with a gazillion little banchan dishes, and soup, and rice, and lettuce and oranges…Each meat item was of the highest quality! You could just tell by looking at it and it was only confirmed by the taste.

The pork belly was was indescribable! Wow! Probably my most favorite part of the meal!

This was definitely the best place to celebrate my final (probably) graduation. However, I’m not going to wait for a special occasion to go back. I need to put this place on rotation for sure! Unicorns and rainbows? D’uh.

Parks BBQ

955 South Vermont Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90006-1647
(213) 380-1717

Espresso Profeta, Westwood

So, I should be editing photos from my graduation today, but instead I’m taking about 10 minutes to write out a quick post about this coffee place I just tried tonight. Tyler (one of my favorite Intelli baristas) told me about this place and I immediately wanted to try it. The selling point was that they use Vivace which was one of the places I visited (and loved) while I was in Seattle last month.

On the way home from Ktown, we stopped in Westwood to look for this shop, and found it at 5:55 pm. The signage and the shop reminded me of Seattle and it screams indie coffee shop. Loved it! Plus the coffee bar is really small and intimate. I could go on and on about the history of this place, but Josh over at FoodGPS has done a great job of that already.

As fate would have it, Espresso Profeta closes at 6pm daily so I had 5 minutes to order something. I ended up with a latte which was presented with lovely latte art on top. The photo is dark because I had to take it outside. I don’t know if it was a fluke, but that latte was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Certainly the best one I’ve had since Seattle. I’m scared to go back because if it isn’t this good next time, I’ll be really sad. However, for now, I highly recommend a visit to Espresso Profeta. I must go back and have a Cafe Nico. Maybe tomorrow…

Espresso Profeta

1129 Glendon Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90024

(310) 208-3375

SCV Tweetup, Fish Tail, Valencia

Early last week, some of us got the idea of trying out the new Dink’s at the mall as a group. Nothing new there, I go out to eat with my friends all the time. Then I started to invite people that I talked to via Twitter and the next thing I knew, this had turned into a Tweetup. However, the opening date for Dink’s kept changing each day. Monday, Tuesday, then Wednesday…it was hard to keep up after a while.

The problem was that most people that I had initially DM’d were able to attend on the date specified, and then my reasoning was, if I had spent all of this time contacting everyone and coordinating times, why cancel just because our original location had not opened in time? I needed a Plan B location, and I needed it ASAP! I called Min, the owner of Fish Tail and asked him if he was able to accommodate about 25 of us, and I only gave him less than 24 hour notice. I think he was surprised, but was definitely willing to host us and even offered to set up the tables for us. Perfect.

So, Wednesday night I stopped to get some name tags, grabbed a couple of grading pens and headed to Fish Tail only to find that I was late to my own Tweetup. Lovely. People were really prompt and before we knew it we had filled up the long table. More than 20+ people showed up on such short notice and I am happy to report that nobody just sat there and acted shy. Everyone interacted, and like I told Lisa, it wasn’t awkward at all. Almost as if we all knew eachother already.

By the way? That following nametag has been hidden somewhere in the SCV. There will be a prize for whoever finds it first…

And I have no idea what happened to the napkin with this cat that Susan had drawn!

Our first ever SCV Tweetup took place in March, 2009 and at that time, there weren’t too many people Tweeting in the SCV. Now, January 2010 we have a really nice group of both people and businesses on Twitter! I know I’m missing some people, but these are the ones I remember off the top of my head:

BernatMommy

Cristen26

Susanfujiki

N8I + A

ScottEEEEEEE

Mic_Dee

MyLisaMcm

Jeff_Scvtalk + 3

Cherylle2

Trinculo73

Sean1978 + 1

SCVFashion

SCVMomsblog

From what I’ve been hearing, everyone had a really great time. I met a lot of people in person for the first time, and of course saw a lot of familiar faces. Thanks to Fish Tail for taking care of us! 

This is the third (or maybe even 4th) Tweetup that I have helped organize here in the SCV. I don’t do it for popularity points and I certainly don’t do it to pretend I’m powerful, because really I don’t like power. Most of you have met me, and some of you are my close friends in real life. The point I’m trying to make is this. I am a person that actually follows you on Twitter, I interact with you on Twitter. I follow most local businesses on Twitter and the point of my blog is to support good local businesses, amiright? I don’t just follow celebs and Tweet at them in hopes that they Tweet back. I follow you guys, and if we interact so much through Twitter, it only makes sense that we meet in person. That is the point of a Tweetup. It isn’t seeing how many people you can fit in a room. They are SCV centered, focused on our little community up here. It isn’t a numbers game. It is a community game. The focus is purely social, and I think that those of you that have attended any of our Tweetups are aware of that. We have managed to make it become “dinner with friends” instead of some stuffy social mixer.

Having said that…what are you all doing Friday night? I’m thinking Froyo…

Ricky’s Fish Tacos, New Location, Mi Alma Garden, Silverlake

Remember that lone man that sold some tacos outside of the laundromat merely a few months back? Remember how I went crazy on Twitter last May when I discovered his stand? Remember when I was FTR and craving these tacos non-stop? Remember when I couldn’t find his stand because he stopped coming for weeks and weeks? Remember how sad it made me? Remember it was because he was only selling 10 tacos per day and had to give tacos away because people were not interested? Well, now that we have taken that walk down memory lane…I’m here to tell you about how Ricky has a brand new location! Can you say UPGRADE?

He was actually at the Mi Alma Garden for Day of the Dead as a one time deal last November but because his crowds were getting ridiculous, he was able to move into the garden full time (and by full time, I mean Saturday and Sunday). I really like the Mi Alma Garden. Basically, artists sell their art within the garden and gallery, but everything is recycled in some form. Also, the guys that run the garden are pretty fabulous. Also, if you remember from my Day of the Dead post, there was an artist painting a scene from Alice in Wonderland that night. When I walked into the garden, I saw the completed painting displayed on the back wall! Very cool!

Last weekend was Ricky’s debut at the garden and everything was set up really nicely! There were tables spread out for seating, but it was completely informal. The vibe was phenomenal! Music was playing, people were eating, and the lines went really quick because Ricky got a bigger pan last week And this is when I will inform you that if you have never seen Ricky’s OG file cabinet cart, tomorrow may be your last chance! He has had a new “legit” cart in the works since a couple of weeks back, and he is hoping to get it delivered by next week.

I got there about 20 minutes early last Saturday and people were already starting to gather. Only this time, instead of forming a line around the block, people could walk around the garden and shop, while others simply found a place to sit, and honestly? The feeling was just “right”. I sat there on this bench thinking, wow! Look how far he has come! The next stop will possibly be a legit shop by summer.

I ate my first taco at the bench and it tasted pretty fantastic. As you know I usually opt for the Ricky’s Special with only crema and some cabbage.

Could it be that the tacos that day tasted better than ever? I think the garden setting had something to do with it. If I loved these tacos before, I simply adore them now! As I got ready to order my second taco, this table (which also happens to be for sale) cleared up and I decided to move.

Surrounded by random strangers (but all established Ricky fans) I ate my second taco in a state of bliss. I’m all for eating tacos parados, but when you actually sit down at a table with a chair? Ricky’s tacos taste spectacular!

So, there I sat eating my taco, drinking my soda, talking to random strangers, and people watching. What a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon. The owner of the Mi Alma Gardens hopes to get a beer license soon (for all you cerveza drinkers out there) so be on the look out for that.

The garden is located just down the street from Ricky’s previous spot. Just keep walking past Kelly Green, and past the other shops. You can’t miss it! I think this is the perfect spot for Ricky until he opens up shop this summer. Go out there and check it out for yourself.