Swine and Wine

It is not a game people!

Cast Iron Gourmet owner, Rashida Purifoy and I

Couch Mix $11

Frisee Salad

Shame, shame, shame on me for not spreading the word about this fab bacon that I had a few weeks ago! I had some of the best bacon ever at Cork Bar's Swine and Wine event, hosted by pork master Rashida Purifoy. Swine and wine was a 3-course fixed menu with bacon for $25(optional wine paring $13), awesome deal right? I brought along a few gal pals to experience the blissfulness of this bacon! I boasted about the couch mix on the car ride over, the girls gave me a look like "Whatchu talkin' about Willis??", it's something so indescribable, you just have to try it for yourself!  We arrived at Cork Bar which  is a small corner bistro in the heart of Downtown L.A. We dined with the stars on this clear chilly night, which was okay because the warmth of the fire pits kept us toasty.  Before we placed our order, our server placed a shot of couch mix on the table.I already new what was about to happen, game over!  These ladies couldn't get enough of the stuff, trail mix with caramelized bacon, it was a wrap! At that moment Rashida became their bacon dealer (I'm already a client),  because this stuff is foodie crack!  That got the juices flowing and we were so excited about what was to come.

Bahn Mi Sliders

The first course was a Frisee and Bacon Salad, which had roasted tomatoes, a light mustard vinaigrette and flavorful seasoned bacon.  This was a great start to our meal, we were in pure bliss.  Now imagine feeling that way about a salad, crazy huh? The salad was a tough act to follow but what came next was even better, if you can imagine that. The Bahn Mi Sliders came next, now this might come second to the Couch Mix in my pork book. This mouth watering slider consisted of cured pork belly in a hoisin glaze, sambal aioli, cilantro, pickled  dikon and carrot, with a drizzle of sriracha.  This delectable delight just melts in your mouth.  I don't even have words for how good this slider was, I'm just glad that there were two on the plate!  We are almost full and a little antsy, anticipating our last and final course, the Bacon Chocolate Cupcake!

Bacon Chocolate Cupcake

Our cupcakes came out warm and moist with a dollop of Carmel whipped cream and of course sprinkled with thick juicy bacon.  It was really good, just wish the actually cupcake was a little sweeter.  It was a perfect blend of salty and sweet and I would gladly have another!  Rashida did a meet and greet with us, as she did with all the tables, and she gave me my  order (I ordered a week in advance, I don't play!) of Couch Mix, Bourbon Bacon Chutney and Pimento Cheese with Bacon Fat.  You would swear Halle Berry walked in the room, camera flashes and floods of questions,  my friends were so intrigued on this Couch Mix, "How do you make it?", "Where can I get it?"  I'm glad she was there to answer all of their questions and needless to say supply each and everyone of them with a box of Couch Mix ($11).   And there you have it, the story of Cast Iron Gourmet's three new addicts, and I'm not trying to kick the habit anytime soon!



Cork Bar
403 W. 12th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90015
213-746-0050

P.S. March 1st. is National Pork Day!  Come out to Black Boar Bar and enjoy two of my favorite things pork and liquor!

Cafe Bizou

Lobster Bisque

So DineLA has finally come to an end (major sad face) and I decided to go to a familiar place for my last outing.  Cafe Bizou is right around the corner from the J-O-B so I decided to drop in for lunch.  My co-worker and I popped in right after the lunch rush so our service was relatively quick which is a good thing since we were on a time crunch.  I was little indecisive about what I wanted but soon was able to figure i

New York Steak with Brandy Cream Sauce

Tiramisu

t out. So after much debate I decide on the Lobster Bisque as a starter, the New York Steak as an entree and Tiramisu for dessert.  The lobster bisque was great, had a great buttery flavor and to my surprise there were chunks on lobster meat in it.Yum Yum! Next came my New York steak, I was really treating myself since I don't eat steak too often.  Steak was mediocre, it was under seasoned and a little tough.  They gave me a few puny asparagus spears, which was a bit of a let down. The brandy cream sauce was enjoyable and was a great dipping sauce for my fries.  Saving the best for last of course was the dessert.  This moist piece of heaven was a delicious end to my meal, it just melts in your mouth.  All in all I had a great meal and I absolutely can't wait til DineLA hits the streets again!




CAFE BIZOU, Sherman Oaks
14016 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
(818) 788-3536

For Colored Girls who Wanted Dinner when Being Hungry Wasn't Enough!

Gamberoni in Camicia

Finally it's restaurant week!  I searched hundreds of restaurants (literally) to find the perfect place to dine. On this crisp winter night my friend and I finally decided to go to Firenze Osteria owned by Top Chef contestant Fabio Viviani...and the excitement stopped there. We arrived to a quaint little restaurant in NoHo.  It was a Sunday night, busy but not packed.  We didn't make reservations so we expected a wait.  The owner/host Jacopo was training a girl to be a hostess, no problem everyone has to learn sometime.  When we arrived at 7:00pm he told us that there was a 15-20 minute wait and to sit at the bar.  Again no problem, I saw a few empty tables when we arrived but figured maybe those people had reservations so we waited..... and waited... and waited. While we were starving at the bar, Jacopo schmoozed with all the regular patrons which would have been fine if we weren't waiting 30 minutes! He was standing right next to us talking to some people at the bar and I was trying to wait my turn and get his attention,  but he didn't look my way.  So I finally got up and asked the hostess if there were any available tables yet.  She apologized for the wait and said yes. Do you know that she gave us the same table that was empty when we first got there???  WTF?!?!  I always joke that anytime I  bring a friend of another race with me they either seat us in the back or by the restroom, well this time they just forgot about my black ass altogether!  LMAO So me and my Latina girlfriend were seated (finally) and took a look all the Lily white faces of the  patrons in the restaurant, not sure if that's why we waited so long but it kinda makes you wonder, Huh? We got bread and beverages promptly and I asked for the DineLA menu.  I decided upon  the Gamberoni in Camicia (Grilled Jumbo Shrimp),Agnello ai Pistacchi(Herb Encrusted Rack of Lamb) as an entree and Flourless Chocolate Cake for dessert.  My friend opted for soup and salad so I was havin' DineLA fun by myself. The first course came out promptly and it was so tasty, jumbo shrimp stuffed with Gorgonzola, wrapped with pancetta, over sautéed garlic spinach and herbs and Parmesan polenta.  It was so good I wish there was more.

Agnello ai Pistacchi

Flourless Chocolate  Cake

The main course didn't come out as fast, in fact are server was pretty slow all night long and by this time there weren't as many people in the restaurant.  Any who, I asked for my lamb medium well and it still came out a little rarer than I would have liked, so I asked them to cook it a little more.  The second time it came out it was great, it was also prepared with braised pistachios which was awesome, never had anything like it before.  Then for the finale my chocolate cake, it was served with vanilla gelato and coffee cream.  The cake was perfect, so soft and moist that it just melts in your mouth!  To sum things up I was not impressed with this flourishing tavern.  They had small portions, over-priced food and crappy service!  Deal or no deal for $34 I expect way more than we got that night!  Would I  come back?  Maybe, but probably just for cocktails, they looked awesome!  This the last week of DineLA people, so please pretty please get out there and try somethin' new!

Firenze Osteria

4212 Lankershim Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91602
818.760.7081

New Year, New You

Drew Barrymore Print Ad

Step 1

Step 2

 

M.A.C Paint Pot-Vintage  Selection $16.50

Sorry for the short hiatus, now I'm back!  It's a new year and it's time to start everything fresh and sassy!  If you're anything like me you're a TV junkie and have seen this commercial with Drew Barrymore a million times.  It looked like a cool concept, use one product (the print ad shows two products), to create a smokey eye.  Although the commercial implies that you only need one product, you actually need Smoky Shadowblast  ( $9.99)and Liquidline Blast ($9.99) to create the look.  So I start off by using a base to prevent creasing. Shadowblast has a dual stick that gives you step by step directions.  Step 1:  Glide the rounded tip from your lashline to your brow bone. Step 2:  Apply darker color in the crease and your lash line. Step 3:  Use a sheer or nude lip gloss, I chose Shine Sensational in Berry Dazzle by Maybeline ($6.99).    Now my look is complete, done in two steps.  I can say that I did not like how this turned out at all, and it looks nothing like the ad!  I spruced it up a bit by adding lip liner, blush, mascara and defining my brows. So this is the new and improved look.  A little better but nothing to get excited about. I wore this to work all day and it creased so bad even though I put on a base! I would never buy this crap again!  If you need a quick smokey eye then this is a great product, other than that it gets two thumbs down!  I'm glad it was something inexpensive that I fortunately can take back. 
Pros: Easy use, good for a few hours
Cons:  Creases/runs really bad, could never wear all day



FYI people DineLA is back people Jan.23-28th and
Jan.30-Feb.4th.  Check out where to get a fab meal
at a fantastic price!

Get it Right, Get it Tight(s)

Tights $5.80

Jumpsuit $27.80

Me and my signature drink at Isla

Fall/Winter is a great time for fashion.  One trend that I always wanted to try but never had the guts to do  was colored tights.  Opaque or textured tights can make an LBD pop, or spice up any outfit, so I finally decided to give it a try.  I payed a visit to every girl's favorite store,  Forever 21 to pick out some tights and of course I also found a few other items that I didn't need (don't we all?).  I found these maroon textured tights ($5.80) that I fell in love with, but felt I didn't own anything that would do them justice. Now I must say if you have hips, legs, butt, or any combination of the three then one size does not fit all!  I'm a healthy chick and I had to stretch these bad boys out before it could fit half way up my leg! It all worked  out so I was pleased. I browsed around and found these cute taupe colored short jumpsuit ($27.80).  It was perfect for fall with the tights, and great for summer paired with some bad ass sandals! Then I needed some accessories. Simple gold hoops ($1.50) and a bangin' necklace($7.80) did the trick.  My whole outfit was  under $50! Now you can't beat that with a stick!  What's your favorite fall trend??

Artisanal LA Part Duex

Spicy Pickled Garlic Smoked Olives $14

Butter Pie $25

Crab Roll $9

  Boy oh boy if you weren't in Downtown L.A last weekend you really missed out!  So many shows so little time! Artisanal LA, Unique LA, and A Current Affair, were just a few of the fab shows that took place over the weekend.  Chestnuts roasting on an open fire (literally), and all things food inspired were the highlight of the second installment of Artisanal LA.  My first stop was Artisanal LA, truly a food lovers dream, I was in Foodie Heaven! Crust was my first stop where I sampled owner Stephanie's Missouri Butter Pie (yes I said BUTTER pie), and cracker brittle, so good.  I then moved on to Orgasmo de la Boca which had some awesome smoked olives.  I've never heard of such a thing, in fact I don't even like olives, but this was truly the best olive that I've ever had!  This hickory smoked olive was a tasty treat and I'm glad I gave it a try.  Cold Brew and Cola was next on my list, if you enjoy coffee and a quick boost of caffine then this is the drink for you! 

Couch Mix $11

This mix of Mexican Coca-Cola and cold brewed coffee ice cubes was quite refreshing, it really helped me wash down all that goodness I was eating. If you're a coffee lover it's definitely a must.  To my pleasant surprise The Hungry Nomad and The Lobsta Truck there, now these are two amazing food trucks! Now The Lobsta Truck did not disappoint, the menu is simple, lump crab or lobster meat on a toasted roll with mayo or butter. I was in seafood paradise!  I chose the crab roll and of course I had it with rich creamy drawn butter!  It was a great sandwich, would've been even better if there was no shells in it, they get a pass because it was just that good!  But the crème de la crème of the event was Cast Iron Gourmet.  Owner Rashida Purifoy has me over here feenin' like a crackhead over this couch mix. Couch mix is trail mix with carmalized bacon, and it's G-double-O-D Good! Bacon chutney and Bacon Fat Pimento Spread, are her newest creations and I swear it's the best thing since sliced bread, and when you mix

MNKR Screen Tee $20

the two together? Don't even get me started!  It is a definite must try! So to work off all this goodness I walked over to

The California Market Center to Unique LA . This show was huge, so many unique items to see, and many eclectic and interesting pieces. I saw a couple of old faces like p.o.p candy and made some new friends like MNKR they had some cool screen T's, I love the one I bought. So many cool giftideas, I can't wait to see the next show in May 2011. My day unfortunately had to end, I had to catch the train home, it was getting dark and you know what Downtown looks like at night, folks start settin' up shop! I will definitely keep ya posted, on the next event, Ciao! 

Artisinal LA Holiday Pop-Up Shop

Just a reminder that Artisinal LA is this weekend! Don't miss out, this was a great event and kid friendly too so bring the fam!  Also the 3rd Annual Unique LA is happening simultaneously at California Market Center's Penthouse just down the way.  I know where I'll be this weekend eating and shopping!  Enjoy a few pics of the last Artisinal LA event, hope to see you there!

 

Artisanal LA 
851 Santee Street
Downtown LA 90015
Sat & Sun Dec. 11th and 12th 11am-6pm both days

$6 Entry Cash at the Door

Unique LA
California Market Center’s Penthouse 110 E 9th St
Dec 11th & 12th 2010, 11am – 6pm both days
$10 at the door  (kids 12 and under are free)

*Added Bonus: If you show your Unique LA wristband you save $1 off admission to Artisinal LA and if you show Artisnal LA wristband to Unique LA you get 2-for-1 admission! Score! Sounds like a win/win situation!