Best Clam Chowder, Cheapest Cup of Joe, and Pizza Deals on Central CA Coast

Despite my best intentions to get a little R&R on spring break, the lure of excursion and adventure won me over. But don't get me wrong: though a little weary from my travels, I had a fantastic time on the central California coast - a group of friends and I stayed in Oceano, just outside of Pismo Beach, and also traveled extensively through San Luis Obispo.

Beyond the relaxing beach sunning and time spent with dear friends, I found some spectacular deals that you should make sure not to miss when you are spending time in the area.

1. The Cheapest Cup of Coffee: Black Horse, San Luis Obispo, CA
Titled "The BlackHorse Stimulus Package," this unprecedented deal offers a small coffee for only $0.50. That's right: 50 cents. Not only is this a relief to our wallets, but it is also a fantastic excuse to frequent Black Horse, a beautiful cafe in downtown SLO with wonderful, rich coffee, tasty pastries baked in-house, and service and atmosphere that surpasses that of a typical coffee chain shop. I especially like the basket of newspapers by the door - SF Chronicle, LA Times, and NY Times included - and the option to order for-here coffee in a mug (so environmentally friendly). This offer is only valid through April 20, so take advantage of it ASAP.
Black Horse: 1065 Higuera St. (805-783-1300) and 3590 Broad St. (805-439-1300), SLO, CA



2. The Best Clam Chowder in Pismo: Splash Cafe, Pismo Beach, CA
Splash Cafe is a beachtime favorite, offering a large variety of fresh seafood choices in a casual environment in Pismo Beach. However, its name, when mentioned, immediately evokes a vision of one menu choice in particular: its famous clam chowder, served on its own ($3.50 cup/$4.50 bowl) or in its most popular form, a crusty sourdough bread bowl with the bread scooped out and ready for dipping and an extra toasted buttered piece on the side for good measure ($6.75). But this is no ordinary clam chowder - its silky, creamy texture is rich enough to make you cry and dread appearing in your bathing suit the next day. See also its location in San Luis Obispo.
Splash Cafe: 197 Pomeroy, Pismo Beach, CA 805-773-4653

3. Best Lunchtime Pizza Special: Woodstock's Pizza, San Luis Obispo, CA
Woodstock's is a popular spot for local Cal Poly, SLO students in the area - their pizzas are large and loaded with delicious toppings, and best of all, you can order by the slice. One of their lunch specials, offered from 11am-3pm every day, is a generous slice for just $2.32. The choices are limited, but include Pepperoni, Cheese, Mushroom, and Pizza of the Day.

Woodstock's Pizza: 1000 Higuera St., SLO, CA, 805-541-4420

Splash Cafe: http://www.splashcafe.com
Black Horse: http://www.blackhorsecoffee.com
Woodstock's: http://www.woodstocksslo.com

A tasty spring break - to be continued.

Just returned from a relaxing and exciting spring break in Oceano on the California coast.

More soon about the most delicious clam chowder in Pismo, the cheapest cup of coffee I have ever seen at a coffee shop, and a pretty filling slice of pizza at a popular joint in San Luis Obispo.

3BuckBites.com: Frugal Nosh's First "Bite"

Frugal Nosh's first "bite" as a Dictator on 3BuckBites.com was published today: click here to check it out! Wrote about the delicious brioche topped with Nutella and fresh strawberries that I reviewed from Westwood's Espresso Profeta earlier this month.

A little peek at this delicious Bite:


Just to clarify: as a Dictator for the website, I am responsible for regular weekly submissions of Bites from around LA - all the Bites must be $3.99 or under, and it can be anything from desserts to appetizers, 4-star restaurants to trucks and shacks. Importantly, 3BuckBites has a commitment to interesting, exceptional, and quality food that is a great deal for what you get. Dictators are also in charge of reviewing Bites submitted by Non-Dictators (who are definitely welcome and highly encouraged to submit their own) in order to pick the highest quality submissions to post on the website.

If you have any foodie tips for 3 Buck Bites (favorite treats around LA that are $3.99 or under), please let me know or submit it on the website! Stay tuned for more LA deals.


See full "bite" here: http://3buckbites.com/3buckbites/brioche-at-espreso-profeta/
See Frugal Nosh's review of Espresso Profeta: http://www.frugalnosh.com/2009/02/espresso-profeta.html

The Atlantic Food Channel: We All Eat. And We Eat Out.

Frugal Nosh just discovered The Atlantic's Food blog - a tasting menu of sorts with bites of delicious content, rather than the lengthy posts of recipe blogs and other food blogs.

We loved their recent commentary about one of the bright sides of the recession: the fact that no matter how frugal we become in the areas of our life - shopping, vacations, eating - we will never give up on restaurants because, let's face it, we all have to eat.

It's a beautiful part of our culture - eating out is - and one that appears to be in for the long haul.


See full article here: http://food.theatlantic.com/the-zagats/we-all-eat-and-we-eat-out.php

Frugal Nosh is CitySearch's 3BuckBites.com's Newest Dictator!

Earlier this week, Frugal Nosh wrote about CitySearch's exciting new 3BuckBites.com...but what we didn't know is that Frugal Nosh would be asked to become its newest LA Dictator. (!!!)

3BuckBites is a new food guide and food porn heaven by CitySearch for those "who crave cheap eats while satisfying their visual pleasures."

The team of "Dictators" (including Jeff Zalaznick of New York's AlwaysHungry and Jonathan Baker of CitySearch Atlanta - and now Frugal Nosh!) posts great quality foodie finds for $3.99 and under from their cities - including New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles.


an example of a "3BuckBite" from the website

We loved this site before and now love it even more. We strongly recommend you utilize this website for finding great frugal bites around your big-city travels and comment on your favorite finds! When Frugal Nosh posts on the site, we will update our blog readers and Twitter followers so they can stay up with the latest.

More updates about 3BuckBites soon.

Check out 3BuckBites here: http://3buckbites.com
and see Frugal Nosh with the other Dictators here: http://3buckbites.com/about

Images used with permission from CitySearch and 3BuckBites.com
See Frugal Nosh's writeup about 3BuckBites.com here: http://www.frugalnosh.com/2009/03/citysearchs-3buckbitescom.html

LA Times' DailyDish: A Citation, Obama's Garden, and Other Deals

Frugal Nosh is an avid follower of LA Times' Daily Dish and we loved it so much today that we wanted to post three (that's right - three) highlights from the blog.

1. Daily Dish reported that the Kogi Korean BBQ taco truck was allegedly given a citation when it parked in front of the MySpace headquarters in Beverly Hills today. However, Kogi reported that it seemed to be a misunderstanding about which permits are required in what areas of LA and will be cleared up within the next two weeks. Follow Kogi on Twitter for more updates about the temporary hiatus.

2. The Obama family made big news today (see Daily Dish's article here) when Michelle announced plans to build a garden on the White House grounds to supply vegetables - many of them organic - for the White House kitchen. We are very excited about the First Family's plans to reduce food miles and encourage organic growing!

3. Culver City's Beacon, an Asian cafe, will continue its Restaurant Week success with three-course $28 prix-fixe meals (every day but Saturday through the end of March). However, Frugal Nosh is even more excited about its Saturday three-course lunches for $12.95. Daily Dish says this special lunch menu includes brunch items like Portuguese sausage, pancakes, and scrambled eggs. Yum.
Beacon: 3280 Helms Ave., Culver City. (310) 838-7500. www.beacon-la.com.

Fun OC tip from the Daily Dish: The Orange County Restaurant Assn. debuts Happy Hour Week in Orange County on April 12. Many favorite OC restaurants and bars will offer happy hours specials on drinks and their best appetizers for a whole week. Visit www.happyhourweek.com for more happy information about the festivities.

Follow Frugal Nosh on Twitter for updates about the latest food deals and frugal tips! http://twitter.com/frugalnosh

Xiomara Ardolina's 2009 Dinner and 401K Cocktails

Food GPS recently announced two great new specials at Hollywood's Xiomara Ardolina in response to the recession.

The Latin restaurant's namesake and owner, Xiomara, has been lauded by the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and Jonathan Gold for her food that mixes her Cuban heritage with influences from her experiences in Miami and New York.

The restaurant has recently begun to offer the 2009 Dinner, a three-course prix-fixe dinner for $20.09 that includes choices like pepper-crusted Atalantic salmon and frozen Key lime soufflé. This special is offered Monday through Friday from 5pm to 10pm. (Don't expect to share a plate, as split plates are unavailable.)

Frugal Nosh also loves its recession-related happy hour, called the 401K promotion, which boasts $4.01 cocktails (get it?) and complimentary hors d’oeuvres from 5pm to 7pm.

These specials will only last until the end of the recession - so you can probably take your time getting there, as depressing as that is - but make sure you don't miss out on these fantastic steals at Xiomara's.

Xiomara Ardolina
6101 Melrose Avenue, LA 90038
323-461-0601
http://www.xiomararestaurant.com


See full article here: http://www.foodgps.com/review/xiomara-battles-recession-with-2009-dinner-and-401k-cocktail-hour

$1 Specials at Luckyfish Sushi on March 19

We couldn't pass up the opportunity to report another close-to-home anniversary celebration.

According to Food GPS, Innovative Dining Group is celebrating Luckyfish's 1-year Anniversary with $1 specials on all conveyer belt items, beer and cocktails. This special is only happening on Thursday, March 19 from 11am-11pm, so make sure to mark your calendars.

Luckyfish Sushi
338 North Canon Drive, Beverly Hills, 90210
310-274-9800
http://www.luckyfishsushi.com


See full article here: http://www.foodgps.com/review/1-anniversary-specials-at-luckyfish-on-march-19/

LA Times' DailyDish: Free burritos and $5 lunches

The Daily Dish at the LA Times has two incredible Recession Buster tips:

Free Chipotle burritos at the new location in Westlake Village on Thursday, March 19 from 11am until 8pm.
Chipotle, 5754 Lindero Canyon Road, Westlake Village. (818) 597-1603. www.chipotle.com.

Park, a favorite restaurant in Echo Park, is celebrating its 1st Anniversary with $5 lunches (sandwich and a side) from today until Friday, March 20. If you can't make it this week, they are also instituting $5-burger Wednesdays.
The Park, 1400 Sunset Blvd., L.A. (213) 482-9209. www.thepark1400sunset.com.


Photo credit: Kelsey Ramos
See full article here: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dailydish/2009/03/recession-bus-2.html

Great Depression Cooking with Clara

For a more nostalgic look at cheap eating, visit 93-year-old Clara Cannucciari as she prepares recipes her mother made during the Great Depression. ShoppingBlog.com recently wrote about Clara and Frugal Nosh had to check her out.

In YouTube videos (5-7min long) and DVDs all edited by her son, Christopher Cannucciari, Clara shares personal memories and sweet anecdotes while she cooks - an endearing touch that doesn't take too much time for you impatient cooks.

We liked the Poor Man's Meal, an easy-to-make concoction of hot dogs, potatoes, onions, oil, tomato sauce, and water. After she finishes cooking, the camera shows her family members hungrily polishing it off.


Photo used with permission from Chris Cannucciari
See full article: http://www.shoppingblog.com/cgi-bin/sblog.pl?sblog=3080911
Clara's site: http://www.greatdepressioncooking.com/Depression_Cooking/Welcome.html
Clara on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/DepressionCooking

Gourmet.com: Cheap Paris Restaurants

Case in point from our March 14 post about Food Magazines' Cheaper Recipes:

Gourmet.com recently featured an article about the best deals in Paris' most prestigious restaurants. The City of Light's restaurants are responding to the recession with cheaper prices, prix-fixe menus, and special promotions.

Elegant seafood restaurant La Marée in the 8th arrondissement, whose tabs used to run more than $125 per head, now offers prix-fixe menus for $36 and $44. See the full article for more highlights.


See full article here: http://www.gourmet.com/travel/2009/03/cheap-paris-restaurants

Recipe: Marcella Hazan's Tomato Sauce

Frugal Nosh loves "How to Eat Like A Bird"'s new post about eating small portions of really good food.

The blog's publisher, Julie, writes about Macella Hazan's simple and rich tomato sauce, "one of the most blogged about recipes on the Web."

The Recipe: Marcella Hazan's Tomato Sauce
A can of tomatoes
About half a stick of butter
Half an onion

1. Add a little salt and cook everything in a pot, first over medium heat to get it going, then at a low simmer for under an hour. (Leave the onion intact, as it’s only there for flavor and meant to be discarded at the end).

Julie writes: "I made this recently with a small can of tomatoes (15 oz.) and what butter I had leftover—probably 4 tablespoons, and it was tremendously satisfying, turning a dry goods staple—year-old spaghetti noodles—into something of a velvety treat, while remaining on all fronts a model of economy."

We love that idea of economic eating: polishing off great food and cleaning out your pantry of forgotten noodles at the same time. Bravo, Julie!


See full article and recipe here: http://www.howtoeatlikeabird.com/how_to_eat_like_a_bird/2008/04/too-much-of-a-g.html

CitySearch's 3BuckBites.com

For eating out on a budget, visit and bookmark 3 Buck Bites, a new food guide and food porn heaven by CitySearch for those "who crave cheap eats while satisfying their visual pleasures."

Frugal foodies across the country look for great local meals under $3.99 to photograph and share with their peers, and a team of "Dictators" (including Jeff Zalaznick of New York's AlwaysHungry and Jonathan Baker of CitySearch Atlanta) picks their favorites to post on the site. New York, San Francisco, LA, and Chicago are a few of the major cities with great finds.

What Frugal Nosh loves is both the foodies' and the Dictators' attention to quality food - cheap is good, yes, but these finds are "a cut above the typical fast food."

And start posting away - if your 5 of your finds are chosen to be posted, you are automatically upgraded to Dictator status. But if you can't seem to get in, you can always just apply on the site.

Pi Day = Pie Day

Last Saturday was "Pi Day," deemed as such because March 14 is 3/14, similar to mathematics and its 3.14 value of pi.

Frugal Nosh loved The Kitchn's "One Dozen Pies for Pi Day," a tasty compilation of the best pie recipes from a recent bakeoff the site hosted.

Apple pie-lovers can choose from the classic Apple Blackberry Pie with Ginger, Candy Apple Pie (with drizzled caramel on top), and an Apple apple Pie (with the Macintosh Apple logo on top). There's also recipes for Cherry Berry Pie, a Persimmon Tart and an interesting Bean Brulee Tart.

Photo used with permission from The Kitchn.

Visit The Kitchn here: http://www.thekitchn.com
See full article here: http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/recipe-roundup/one-dozen-pies-for-pi-day-079131

MSNBC.com: 6 Web sites to help you slash food costs

MSNBC.com is getting on board with the country's desire to save money on food - yesterday they provided an article called " 6 Web sites to help you slash food costs" that provides some useful tips about saving.

Frugal Nosh likes their link to The Dollar Stretcher, which offers interesting tips about saving money on food, home improvement, and travel. In an article called "$10 Gourmet Meal," it gives tips like stocking up on herbs to inexpensively spice up cooking and using the go-to recession food - potatoes - in tasty ways.


See full article here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29681227
Dollar Stretcher: http://www.stretcher.com/index.cfm
"$10 Gourmet Meal": http://www.stretcher.com/stories/09/09mar16b.cfm

My New Favorite Twitter Friend: Twecipe

Twecipe is a Twitter application based off its website, Twecipe.com, that searches for and generates recipes based on the ingredients you send it.

Frugal Nosh loves this website, as it presents a fantastic solution for leftovers and remnants of ingredients left in the fridge or cupboards and generally just go to waste.

Why throw away those two carrots and that tiny bit of pesto that's left when you could make Vegetarian Curry out of it?

Twecipe's Twitter Bio says it all: "You Follow me and send me some ingredients like this @twecipe chicken, carrots, basil and I DM you back the perfect recipe :) Yum Yum."

Recipe: Making Mochi the Quick Way

My roommate and I hosted two Japanese exchange students this weekend - it was a whirlwind time of cooking big home-cooked meals and inviting friends over to meet them. Before their visit ended, they pulled packages out of their luggage and asked if they could cook for us.



What they made for us: mochi, a soft Japanese rice cake made from glutinous rice that has been pounded and molded into rounded shapes. I have had the privilege of making mochi from scratch before - the benefits of having Japanese friends - but since these girls were traveling, they brought with them the next best thing: mochi (and kinako, a sweet soybean flour) from a package!

With only water, sugar, and their fancy packages, they quickly cooked this up for us to enjoy. (These ingredients can usually be found at Asian market or specialty international food stores - Ichiba Junction or Amazon sell these inexpensive products online as well.)

Recipe: Mochi-making the Quick Way

Ingredients:

Kinako, soybean flour whose flavor is commonly compared to peanut butter
Shiratamako, Japanese rice flour (pictured on top right)
Sugar
Water

1. Mix shiratamako powder with water in a medium bowl, form into small dollar coin-sized circles.


2. Boil water, places mochi circles in water. While mochi is boiling, mix kinako together with sugar, to taste.


3. Remove mochi from boiling water when it is soft but not dissolving.


4. Place into bowl of cold water, let cool for 5-7 minutes.


5. In small mugs/cups, fill 1/4 of cup with kinako/sugar mix. Coat cooled mochi with kinako mix, serve with a spoon, enjoy!

Recipe: Easy Homemade Meatballs

The other night my roommate and I hosted two Japanese exchange students and to save some money for all of us, we decided to cook them the tastiest (and easiest) American food we could think of: spaghetti and homemade meatballs.

As I boiled the pasta ($0.99/lb from Trader Joe's) and heated the sauce ($1.99), my roommate confidently took the meatball reigns:

Homemade Meatballs (Recipe by my roommate, Jillian)

Ingredients:
2 lbs of ground beef (or ground turkey)
5-6 slices of stale or toasted bread
3-4 eggs
1/2 white onion, chopped finely
Meat seasoning
Salt and pepper (optional)

1. Break the bread into small pieces.
2. Combine bread, onions, ground meat and eggs, "smoosh" (see: mix) together in a large bowl.
3. Add meat seasoning to taste (salt and pepper optional).
3. Cook meatballs until cooked through in a large skillet, turning over occasionally. (No oil is needed with ground beef - as Jillian says: "they sizzle deliciously in their own grease.")
4. Top freshly cooked pasta with choice of sauce, serve with meatballs!

Hint: this recipe can also be used for meatloaf!

LA Times: Food Magazines' Cheaper Recipes

According to the recent article by the LA Times, "Food Magzines Begin to Consider Cooks' Budgets", major magazine publications like Gourmet and Bon Appétit are acknowledging their increasingly penny-pinching readers by featuring cheaper recipes.

Though food magazines have remained popular despite the recession, editors are recognizing the need for a "budget-minded approach."

As the article says, "it is out with the truffles, in with the button mushrooms."


See full article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/02/business/media/02mag.html?_r=2

Copa d'Oro's Happy Depression Menu

How you know our economy is hurting (if you didn't already): a happy hour menu called the "Happy Depression menu."

A post by the LAist talks about Copa d'Oro, a new bar in Santa Monica, which offers this new economically relevant option.

The Happy Depression menu offers 12 of their specialty market-fresh cocktails for only $5 - a bargain for those of us who want to continue going out on Friday nights (or every night of the week) and acting as though our wallets (and bank accounts) aren't continuously becoming emptier. Also, see the $4 beers and $5 wines and the tasty Breadbar paninis for $4-$6, nearly half-off the regular price.

Copa d'Oro
217 Broadway, Santa Monica 90401
310-576-3030
Mon-Wed 5pm-12am, Thurs-Sat 5pm-2am, closed Sun
Happy Depression menu hours: Mon-Sat 5-7pm
http://www.copadoro.com


See full post here: http://laist.com/2009/03/09/copa_doros_new_happy_hour_menu_at_d.php

Quick and Healthy: Tri-color Bell Pepper Scramble

Breakfast this morning was quick, delicious...and healthy.

Tri-Color Bell Pepper Scramble

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup Trader Joes's frozen red, yellow, and green bell pepper strips
1/2 cup Nulaid RediEgg Real Egg Product ($3.69 per 32oz container)*
Sprinkle of Trader Joe's Fat Free Crumbled Feta cheese

2 slices Trader Joe's Crust Sourdough Boule ($2.99 per loaf)
Butter, margarine or jam to spread on toast

- Heat up olive oil in frying pan
- Add bell pepper strips (frozen), stir occasionally until liquid dissolves and peppers become slightly grilled
- Add RediEgg, stir frequently until eggs are cooked
- Sprinkle with Feta cheese, serve with two toasted sourdough slices and fresh fruit

*RediEgg is an egg substitute with no fat and no cholesterol, made of 99% real egg.
Recipe from Kelsey Ramos

White House Creamed Spinach

Because I am obsessed about any food that goes into the mouths of the Obamas in the same way pre-teens are obsessed with Hannah Montana and the Jonas Brothers, I am a huge fan of the New York Times blog that reveals the secret (sort of) behind the current White House kitchen's creamless creamed spinach.

White House executive chef Cristeta Comerford was generous enough to divulge her secret ingredients but not her methods, so the New York Times turned to executive chef Dan Barber, of restaurants in Manhattan and Pocantico Hills, N.Y. for his take on the recipe.

This recipe for creamless-creamed spinach is a bargain, healthy, and painless. It requires only fresh organic spinach ($1.99 per bag at Trader Joes), olive oil, and shallots (and a blender to finish it off).

Let me know your thoughts if you try it!

See full blog post at: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/11/creamed-spinach-in-the-white-house/

Instructables.com: Free Ice Cream in a Restaurant

If you've ever had a craving for ice cream while you're in a restaurant but don't want to tack on another $4 to your bill, Instructables.com's tutorial "FREE mini ice cream in a restaurant" is the answer to your penny-pinching prayers.

The website offers dozens of little instruction photo-slideshows of easy recipes, DIY electronic and household projects, and instructions reminiscent of "How to...For Dummies," like keeping house plants alive. If you decide to subscribe, you can watch the video instructables, too.

This particular instructable is the late-night IHOPper's dream: it teaches you how to make ice cream while you're sitting in your plastic-vinyl booth with only ice cubes, salt, creamer cups, and sugar packets or jam (for flavor). 

It might draw some stares from other customers or your favorite frowning waitress, but isn't it worth it for free ice cream?

FREE mini icecream in a restaurant - More DIY How To Projects

For full article, visit: http://www.instructables.com/id/FREE_mini_icecream_in_a_restaurant.

Frugal Uses for Ice Trays

On a similar note, an article from FabulousLiving.com about the "Top 10 Frugal Uses for Ice Cube Trays (Other Than Making Ice)" is a nice reminder about the usefulness of saving our leftover coffee, wine, and fresh herbs - it is so easy to pop in a few frozen cubes of fresh basil rather than chopping those leaves up every time (Trader Joe's also sells its own version of frozen herb cubes - very useful).

But freezing baby food? That's a little gross. This article definitely incorporates baby-loving tips for all you mommies and daddies. (Though try not to be annoyed that each use is on a different webpage - guess FabulousLiving wants to make sure you visit multiple pages on this read.)


http://www.fabulousliving.com/component/resource/article/286/28332

LA Times: "Can two people eat for $67 a week?"

Frugal Nosh thinks an article from the LA Times, "Can two people eat for $67 a week?", is a fresh and honest take on the Food Stamp Challenge - eating on a tight budget akin to the average food stamp allowance. This includes groceries, eating out, and even gifts of food and drink from others.

But talk about relevance to our current economic situation. Major kudos to author Jason Song and others who are rising to the challenge of saving money but still eating well.

Could you live on less than $67 a week for your groceries?


Go here for the full story, or copy and paste this link: http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-stamp11-2009mar11,0,3025159,full.story.

Recipe: Peanut Butter and Banana Toast

Despite my love for fine food and restaurant outings, sometimes there is just nothing like the classics...


Super crunchy peanut butter and freshly-sliced banana on whole wheat toast with a big glass of skim milk.

Tender Greens to open new location in WeHo

LA Times' Daily Dish blog relayed the exciting news today that Tender Greens, the popular fast-food/casual restaurant in Culver City, will be opening a new location in West Hollywood this month.

One of my favorite parts of the Culver City location - and no doubt a feature carried over to the new location - is the transparent Chipotle-style ordering process, where you order and can walk alongside the kitchen as you watch your food being made by the bustling staff, to be picked up and paid for at the end of the counter. The freshness of the food is a glorious change from the heaviness of most fast lunch break restaurants, but if you are watching the clock, you can be in and out pretty quickly (there's always a line, but the workers have a great sense of urgency.)

The WeHo location will serve Tender Greens' signature simple and big salads (made with the freshest locally-grown produce and only $5.50), warming soups (like chicken soup with lemon thyme for $4), and fresh grill specials (served on a plate or on a sandwich, for $10.50). They also offer bottled sodas and wines, which are prettily lined up at the Culver City location against the glass panel to the kitchen. The new restaurant will boast an eco-friendly design in its furnishings and construction.

UPDATE 3/18/09: Tender Greens' Twitter announced that WeHo location opens TODAY!

Tender Greens
9523 Culver Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232
(310) 842-8300
Street parking, some garage



See the full New York Times blog post here: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dailydish/2009/03/tender-greens-t.html

Recipe: Easy Bruschetta

A great recipe from Simply Recipes for bruschetta with fresh tomato and basil.

On that note, I recently learned that the proper pronunciation of bruschetta in Italian is "broo-SKEH-tah," not the pervasive "broo-sheh-tah." The word comes from the Italian word bruscare, which means "roasted over the coals."

The food originated from a Tuscan tradition of celebrating the tastes of a new olive oil crop with lightly toasted bread rubbed with garlic cloves, sprinkled with salt and pepper, and drizzled with the new olive oil. Occasionally they topped it with a tomato salad with basil, garlic, and balsamic vinegar - our present-day American interpretation of the Italian food.

As a college student, I can attest that this recipe for bruschetta is quick and easy to make (follow Simply Recipe's tip about the plum tomatoes, which peel easily after parboiling), and is beautifully presented at gatherings with friends and family.

Price-wise, this recipe will spare your wallet: fresh basil will usually run you near $9/lb, but the quantity this recipe requires (about 7 leaves) cost me a whopping $0.50. Fresh tomatoes are about $2.50/lb and a loaf of nice crusty French or sourdough baguette should run you about $2-3.

The rest of the ingredients (garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper) should be essentials in your kitchen, but if you have to buy (don't be ashamed) then they are investments and will be used often. Consider buying chopped garlic in a jar, which has a longer shelf life than fresh garlic and requires less work (peeling, chopping, etc.)

Recipe from Simply Recipes: Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil

Thanks to Kerry's Island Kitchen for the historical information.

Review: Dim Sum in LA's Chinatown

One of the highlights of my time since moving to Los Angeles comes in the form of tiny little plates, steamer baskets, and a big pot of hot tea.

Dim sum (meaning "touch the heart") has since changed my life.



The tradition of ordering small portions of meats, vegetables, seafoods, and desserts originates from China. Patrons can order off a menu or from little carts pushed around the restaurant by servers.

Dim sum plates can be comprised of fried or steamed dishes, and includes crispy fried tofu, spring rolls, dumplings (both those like potstickers, and some that are coated with rice-flour and then fried), baked or steamed bau (fluffy buns filled with vegetables and meat or seafood), and deep-fried cakes made of taro or turnip.

There are also more exotic dishes like ginger beef tripe, chilled jelly fish, and fried-then-marinated-then-steamed chicken's feet. Most of the dishes are accompanied with black bean sauce, spicy chili oil or mustard, or sweet and sour sauce.

Though most of the dishes have some type of meat in them, there are some delicious vegetable dishes, like choy sum or gai lan (Chinese greens), fried bok choy, vegetable spring rolls, and sweet red bean paste buns. With that said, I wouldn't recommend dim sum for sensitive vegetarians.

Traditionally, the bill is calculated by stamping the tab, which is left on the table, based on the number and size of the dish ordered - anywhere from $1.50 (for the smaller cakes and rolls) to up to $12 or more (for the fancier dishes like crab or duck) per plate. Typically, if you go with a group, expect to pay around $8-10 and leave very full.

LA's best dim sum:

Ocean Seafood Restaurant
750 N. Hill Street, Los Angeles, 90012
213-687-3088
Daily from 9am-10pm
Lot parking on Hill Street for $3.50

CBS Seafood Restaurant
700 N. Spring Street, Los Angeles, 90012
213-617-2323
Daily from 8am-9:30pm
Walking distance from lot parking on Hill Street

Photo credit: stockvault.net

Review: Espresso Profeta

Westwood's Espresso Profeta is one of those places that reminds you of happy places and better times: before the coffee-moguls and drive-thru shops on the sides of freeways.

The small shop caters to UCLA students and local business-people, even remembering names of regulars. Its coffee is pricey, but the beans are from Seattle's Espresso Vivace (where co-owner Mitche Hale used to work) and the baristas know the right proportions for espressos and cappuccinos. Their specialty drinks are also worth a try: the White Velvet ($4) is a fancy name for a white mocha, but comes out rich and with just the right-sweetness.

Espresso Profeta
1129 Glendon Ave, Los Angeles, CA
Monday-Saturday: 6am-6pm, Sunday: 7am-6pm
(310) 208-3375
Street parking, cheap garage on Broxton

Additional article published in The Daily Bruin. See article in its entirety here. Photos by Kelsey Ramos.

Review: Cafe 50's

Visit The Daily Bruin here for my review of Cafe 50's, a vintage-movie-postered, milkshake-and-french-fry, bobby-sock-wearing kind of place on Santa Monica Boulevard. You won't be able to resist the sweet potato fries or the 30+ choices of gigantic milkshakes with names like Apple Pie, Elvis, and S'More ($4.79). Burgers and sandwiches from $6.95-$11.95, pancakes, omelettes, other breakfasts from $6.95-$9.95.

Cafe 50's
11623 Santa Monica Blvd., LA, 90025
(310) 479-1955
Daily: 7am-midnight
Street parking, meters
cafe50s.com

Original article published in The Daily Bruin. See article in its entirety here. Photos by Kelsey Ramos.

Even Obamas are eating local, sustainable

If you were wondering what the Obamas have been eating since their January 20, 2009 move to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, be assured that it gets two thumbs-up from the environment.

Now that the family has its own personal White House kitchen "cabinet," chef Cristeta Comerford is serving up local, sustainable, and healthy grub at the requests of Michelle.

Chefs to Obamas: Way to Go!