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Latest Adventures

My Delight Cupcakery, Ontario

Comments (1) | Wednesday, September 21, 2011

I came across My Delight Cupcakery (MDC) almost a year ago serendipitously, and have been in love with it ever since. It is simply the best cupcakery establishments around, even better than...dare I say it...Sprinkle's Cupcakes. Yes, I can back up my big statement. MDC is the reigning LA Cupcake Challenge champion, having won it in 2010 and 2011 for innovative and delectable treats.

MDC has 16 daily flavors, and one to seven different Flavors of the Week (FOTW), depending on the occasion. Let me just preface the rest of this post by saying that the cakes themselves are moist and never dry or mealy.

Although I could rave on and on about MDC, let me just show you what we had today:

My dainty little package of "mini" goodies

From top row, left to right: Strawberry, Late Night Breakfast, Chocolate Salted Caramel
Bottom row, left to right: Carrot Cake, Waffle Sundae (FOTW), Peanut Butter

Strawberry: Fresh strawberry cake topped with strawberry frosting. Love the cake, the topping, not so much. It was a little too gritty for me.
Late Night Breakfast: Waffle-inspired cupcake topped with buttermilk fried chicken. The regular sized cupcake is stuffed with said fried chicken. The fried chicken garnish sits atop a buttery frosting, and then drizzled with maple syrup and a secret blend of spices. One word comes to mind: Bombdiggity! Yes, it's that good!
Chocolate Salted Caramel: Chocolate cake with a smooth caramel center and topped with chocolate frosting and caramel with a sprinkling of salt. I liked the combination, it was good.
Carrot Cupcake: Carrot cake with carrots, walnuts, pineapple, coconut, spices and topped with a vanilla cream cheese frosting. Not a fan of carrot cake, so I didn't try it.
Waffle Sundae: A light waffle-inspired cake filled w/ fresh strawberries, dipped in French chocolate ganache, frosted with a layer of chocolate mousse, then Madagascar vanilla mousse, topped with jimmies, nuts, a cherry & a piece of waffle cone. It was really good! I'm sad that it's just a FOTW.
Peanut Butter: Peanut butter cake with PB chips and topped with PB frosting and chocolate sprinkles. I loved the PB-ness of it all; thoroughly satisfying.

If you're ever in the IE, a visit to MDC is definitely in order. A word (two) to the wise: go early, as they tend to run out.

My Delight Cupcakery, 1520 N. Mountain Avenue, Suite B-108, Ontario




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Mimi's Cafe, Chino Hills

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Bonjour! A breakfast treat at our local Mimi's Cafe.

Corned Beef Hash served with Mimi's potatoes two eggs (I always choose over easy), and a buttermilk spice muffin (not pictured). It's one of the best corned beef hash dishes I've had, and the potatoes were excellent. With some orange juice and coffee, it was a great way to start a lazy day off work.


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Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdale's, South Coast Plaza

Comments (0) | Tuesday, September 20, 2011

It was Costa Mesa Restaurant Week, so for date night, Boogs and I finally got to try one of Charlie Palmer's restaurants. I've been wanting to visit Aureole at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, but since a Vegas trip without kids is essentially out of the question these days, South Coast Plaza will have to do. For $30 per person, we were treated to a delectable 3-course prix fixe meal plus a few goodies, with the chef's compliments:

The restaurant space from where we were seated.

Mini baguette, and apple bread roll - warm bread and butter, who can ask for more? I liked the uniqueness of the apple bread.

Chilled Pea Soup - this amuse bouche consisted of chilled pea puree with shrimp garnished with olive oil and micro greens. It tasted earthy, verdant and it really prepped the palate for the meal.

Slow Braised Crisp Pork Belly - we ordered this appetizer as an extra dish because come on, let's face it, you just can't pass up pork belly. This tasty dish was served with a polenta (I think), caramelized plums, pickled onions and a port sauce. The pork was tender, but tasted charred. Nevertheless, all the flavors were married perfectly when the components are eaten together in the same bite.

Summer Melon Salad - Boogs's 1st course of summer melons, prosciutto, pickled onions and a ricotta walnut butter served with a white balsamic vinaigrette, arugula and basil oil. I didn't get a bite of this dish at all, but was only able to taste the vinaigrette, and it was really good.

Potato Leek Soup - my first course that was served with a salmon rillette, fennel caper remoulade and chives, and garnished with what I think was truffle oil, but I can't remember for sure. I felt that the strong flavors coming from the salmon and the remoulade completely overpowered the mild flavors of the potato and leeks , but it was a decent course overall.

Blackened Pork Tenderloin - my main course served with atop creamy grits, braised Swiss chard, shrimp and bacon jus. Quite honestly, my favorite part of the dish was the grits, everything else seemed to be competing with each other in terms of flavor and texture.

Salmon - Boogs's main course of salmon on top of bok choy and crispy jasmine rice. I really liked this dish; so much so that I wish I had ordered it. I wish I took notes.

Pommes Frites - also known as French Fries. Free french fries. No complaints!

Meyer Lemon Tart - my dessert course of a tart complemented by a blackberry coulis, lavender meringue and a honey ricotta gelato. I'm not a fan of lemon desserts but chose this for variety's sake. I did really like the gelato and the meringue, because their sweetness cut the tartness of the lemon.

Mint Chocolate Brownie Sundae - Boogs's dessert, which is what I should've chosen. A double chocolate brownie concoction served with mint chocolate ice cream and hot fudge. The mint actually was more prominent than I expected, but I would have eaten this any day over a lemon dessert.

Overall, Charlie Palmer's served up a great meal, and I really appreciate Restaurant Weeks because it allows people on a budget to experience a great, upscale dinner. 


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Home Restaurant, Silver Lake

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Feeling particularly proud of driving safely to the Valley (San Fernando Valley, that is) and back, a friend and I decided to stop at Home Restaurant in Silver Lake for lunch before going back to work. I love breakfast foods, so Chicken Fried Steak and Eggs was a no-brainer for me.

Breaded cube steak served with eggs over easy and home fries (pun intended). Country gravy was served on the side, with your choice of toast. It was very tasty, and it totally hit the spot. Loved the fries and the gravy. I have to admit, however, that towards the end, it seemed like the steak had too much breading on it.


Definitely a great place, loved the atmosphere and the food. I'd love to visit again when I get a chance.

Home Restaurant, 2500 Riverside Drive, Los Angeles
www.homesilverlake.com


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Vacation Food

Comments (0) | Saturday, September 3, 2011

I know this is at least a couple holidays late, but I just saw this while looking through my "Food" photo folder. This is the traditional (at least ours) Memorial Day Steak Marsala. Actually, we make this the night before Memorial Day.


Pictured above is a pan roasted New York strip steak that's cooked first and then set aside. In the same pan, we added a pat of butter, then the mushrooms. After the mushrooms are cooked, we deglazed the pan by adding approximately ½ cup of marsala wine and ½ cup beef stock. Let it reduce by half, and then add up to ¼ cup of heavy cream. Season the sauce to taste.

Angel hair pasta and roasted asparagus were the accompaniments to the steak. The pasta was cooked according to the box directions, and the asparagus was roasted with finely minced garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper in a 450­° oven.

And voila! A simple, delicious meal to be had by 6.2 hungry people.


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Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

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Just a lazy Saturday at the SLYFoodie home. The idea and recipe all came from Glorious Treats, a fabulous site I found while surfing the net.


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Sandra's Restaurant, Chino Hills

Comments (0) | Monday, August 22, 2011

I love me some chilaquiles. Sandra's always satisfies my chilaquiles craving.

Chips and salsa. I like the chips because they have some flour tortilla chips, which I love. The salsa seems to have a basil-like flavor, which doesn't really appeal to my palate.  

Chilaquiles with red sauce and eggs over easy, served with rice and beans. Deelish! 


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Victrola Coffee Roasters, Seattle

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The last SLY Foodie stop in Seattle, Victrola Coffee Roasters.




I enjoyed my latte, however, it did not compare to Espresso Vivace. Still much better than most of the coffee you find in LA.


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Room Service

Comments (0) | Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Sometimes, room service food is the best thing ever...until you see the bill.


All-American Breakfast served with scrambled eggs, sauteed potatoes, bacon, toast and orange juice. We ordered an additional side of fresh berries. Good way to start the day.


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The Crab Pot, Seattle

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A co-worker recommended The Crab Pot to us, and since we didn't really have Friday night plans, we decided to try it. It's been around for at least 30 years, and recently garnered more publicity when it was featured on The Travel Channel's "Man vs. Food" program.


I think it's best to order the Sea Feasts, as the feasts are The Crab Pot's specialties. We decided to go with The Westport, which includes Dungeness and snow crabs, shrimp, steamed mussels and clams, andouille sausage, corn on the cob and red potatoes. It is served in a gianormous bowl that they pour out on your table. They called it a feast, and feast we did. The seafood was super fresh, sprinkled with The Crab Pot's special seasonings, and you get to dip it in butter. The cool part? You get your own board and mallet!



The Crab Pot, 1301 Alaskan Way, Seattle, Washington
www.thecrabpotseattle.com 


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Dahlia Lounge, Seattle

Comments (0) | Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Lunch brought us Dahlia Lounge, owned by Seattle's celebrity chef, Tom Douglas. We were excited for two reasons: the opportunity to enjoy food at one of his restaurants, and second, crab cake.



Tom's Tomato Soup, served with brown butter croutons. A little bland, not enough salt. The croutons were deelish, though.

Stiebrs Farms cage-free eggs any style (scrambled, as you can see), served with biscuit, parmesan potatoes, and house sausage. Arguably one of the best breakfast plates I've ever had. The biscuit and the sausage were excellent.

The pièce de résistance, also known as Dungeness crab cakes, served with watercress salad, grilled asparagus, and hollandaise. Meaty, fresh, lump Dungeness crab was deservedly the star of the dish, and everything else served simply as background. The salad dressing was way too acidic.


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BOKA Kitchen + Bar, Seattle

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We spent Sunday breakfast at BOKA Kitchen + Bar in Downtown Seattle, just a few blocks from our hotel. It has a cool, hip ambiance even for breakfast, and I imagine it to be "the happening" place around happy hour. Incidentally, they have a very promising happy hour menu, which I would love to check out one day.

We ordered the following items:

 Buttermilk pancakes, served with fresh berries and topped with powdered sugar

Monte Cristo  - battered brioche with sliced kurobota ham, gruyere cheese, house strawberry and jalapeno preserves

French Toast - croissant dipped in custard, infused with maple syrup and served atop berry sauce and sweet cream 

I wasn't a fan of the Monte Cristo; the berry sauce was a little too overpowering for me. The pancakes were standard breakfast food, nothing spectacular. My favorite was the Croissant French Toast, but only because of the sweet cream. Overall, a pleasant experience; I'd love to try their more substantial fare someday.

BOKA Kitchen + Bar, 1010 First Avenue, Seattle


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Espresso Vivace, Seattle

Comments (0) | Friday, July 22, 2011

Any visit to the Emerald City would be amiss without visiting Espresso Vivace, located in the Capitol Hill district of Seattle. Their motto is una bella tazza di caffe, which means, "a beautiful cup of coffee," and truly, it is. It has been a respected and renowned establishment for at least 20 years, and believe me, it deserves each and every accolade.




Boogs ordered his usual cappuccino, pictured below:


I shall try to sum up my latte in three simple words: Best. Latte. Ever.



Espresso Vivace at Brix, 520 Broadway Avenue East, Seattle, Washington


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Elliott's Oyster House, Seattle

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One of the dinners we enjoyed in Seattle was from Elliott's Oyster House, located on Pier 56 on the Seattle waterfront.

Since we were still pretty full from previous feasts, including the Oregon Strawberry and Mountain Huckleberry ice cream seen below, we only ordered a couple of things to share.

First up was the Chorizo-Pepper Clams appetizer dish, and we asked our server to make it half mussels, half clams. Cooked in clam nectar, bell peppers, chorizo sausage and cream, it was spicy, creamy goodness. The hot bread was the perfect addition, allowing us to sop up all the sauce.
We also ordered the Seafood Fettuccine, which included salmon, shrimp, scallops, and mussels in a garlic cream sauce. I thought that it was a decent dish, although I must say that I'm partial to the version that Isabella's on the Wharf in Monterey Bay serves.

Overall, Elliott's was a good experience.

Elliott's Oyster House, 1201 Alaskan Way, Seattle, Washington
http://www.elliottsoysterhouse.com/


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Zoka Coffee Roasters and Tea

Comments (0) | Saturday, May 28, 2011

My first decent pound of coffee beans from Seattle (notice I said decent coffee, ahem, Starbucks and company) was from Zoka. So naturally, Zoka was on the Seattle itinerary. There are several coffeehouses in the Seattle area with inviting atmospheres. We visited the Greenlake location, which is relatively close to Woodland Park Zoo.
Zoka offers freshly roasted coffee beans of either special blends or single origin. Each package notes the roast date, so you know it's fresh.
I ordered a latte, my coffee beverage of choice while in Seattle for two reasons: a) what's not to like about a latte? and b) the latte art. Zoka's latte, unfortunately, was a little on the bitter side, which was most likely due to the water being too hot. Other than that, it was good enough to rank third best latte I've ever had (The best being Espresso Vivace, second being Intelligentsia).

Zoka Coffee Roasters and Tea, various locations
http://www.zokacoffee.com/


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Ivar's Acres of Clams

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A former Seattleite recommended Ivar’s Fish Bar as a must visit on Seattle’s waterfront. So after doing a little research, we decided not to go to the Fish Bar, but to Ivar’s Acres of Clams, conveniently located next door. Overlooking Pier 54, Ivar’s boasts of original, world famous fish and chips, and clam chowder recipes.

We ordered the Calamari, fresh squid rings, lightly dipped in its batter and flash fried, then served with a chipotle-lime aioli. Certainly not the worst calamari I've ever had, but not the best, either. It seemed a little overfried.

My favorite Ivar's dish, the Fresh Sauteed Penn Cove Mussels, served with a coconut curry sauce and fresh cilantro. Our server was kind enough to let us order half Manila clams and half mussels. Some of the tastiest bivalves I've ever had were swimming in that tasty curry sauce. The seafood tasted like the ocean, so you know it's fresh. The only thing missing? Bread, to soak up all the leftover sauce.

We also got Ivar's World Famous Clam Chowder, which, in my opinion, is one of the better chowdas on the West Coast. It was super creamy and rich, with just a hint of bacon. Bacon really does make everything better.

You can't go to Ivar's without trying the World Famous Fried Fish and Chips. To me, it was good, as the fish was definitely fresh. But I felt the batter to be too light; maybe I'm used to the heavier beer batters on my fried fish. Fries were ok, nothing spectacular about them.
Ivar's has many versions of itself located throughout the Seattle area (i.e., Fish Bar, Salmon House, Acres of Clams, etc.) - you really don't have an excuse not to visit one.

Ivar's Acres of Clams, 1001Alaskan Way, Pier 54, Seattle
http://www.ivars.com/


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