Jump on La Botte

If you're feeling romantic, or in search of a place where romance drips off the Italian waiters that pour your Italian wine, head on down to La Botte. The food is rustic but elegant. From homemade pasta to tables made with the slats of wine barrels, this place doesn't miss a beat. The food is impeccable as well. The evening will start with a basket of fresh foccacia, which is divine, and if you're looking for something to start your meal, both the Corn Soup (may be seasonal) and the Branzino Carpaccio ($18) are to die for. I went with the Papardelle with Pistachios and Lamb ($20) for dinner, while my date dined on the Seafood Risotto - both of which were outstanding.

Save this one up for a date night.


La Botte Ristorante
620 Santa Monica Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 576-3072
$$$$

It's a Small World After All

There's nothing like the "bite-sized" factor when it comes to the sweet stuff. Vanilla Bakeshop, Santa Monica's resident cupcakery has mastered the art of itsy bitsy treats. Cupcakes that fit in the palm of your hand range in flavor from Passion Fruit to Peanut Butter Chocolate, but the cute confections don't stop there. Vanilla also offers a variety of miniature pudding cups and cheesecake bites. Now you can have your cake and your dinner too - and not feel so guilty about it afterwards!

Vanilla Bakeshop
512 Wilshire Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 458-6644
<$

Neighborhood Sushi

I'm always in search of no-frills neighborhood restaurants that aren't too pricey to necessitate a special occasion, but aren't too cheap to warrant over indulging. I think I found just the place. Ninjin Sushi in Santa Monica is a great spot with a great vibe. Although Ninjin has been opened for 3 years, it took a "break" between year 1 and 2, and has been reopened under new fervor for the past year. The management certainly knows what they're doing, offering complementary edamame, and a chef's special (which in our case were fish cakes). Maybe they were just in a good mood on that night, but I fell for them like Beyonce.

The fish was fresh and the presentation was fantastic. Most of the specialty rolls were $8-$11, and some of the highlights were the Ninjin Roll, Spicy Tuna Crunch Roll, Caterpillar Roll, Spicy Tiger Roll (my personal favorite with jalapenos inside), Volcano Roll and Rose Roll. Unfortunately, I wasn't warned that I would be eating with Cris Angel, so before I had a chance to shoot all of the rolls, they had disappeared from the plate. Here's a couple for your enjoyment:

Spicy Tiger Roll

Chef's Special Fish Cakes

Caterpillar Roll

Ninjin Sushi
607 Colorado Blvd.
Santa Monica, 90404
(310) 451-9800
$$

Butter Me Up

In a town where my therapist is on the South Beach Diet, and my Gardner does leg-lifts in between pruning my roses, I am ever so amused by the cupcake revolution that has exploded on the L.A. scene. When Sprinkles opened in Beverly Hills, thrones bowed down in appreciation (well, maybe they were just purging, but what does that really matter). I too joined the masses in rekindling my fond appreciation of the tiny cakes, but couldn’t help but chuckle a little at the irony of the whole thing. I mean, do people know how many calories are in those little things? Whatever magical spell the cupcake vendors have put over our town, I’d like to borrow for a weekend’s shopping trip with my boyfriend (“you are getting spendy, very spendy…you want to buy expensive shoes for your girlfriend…”).

Needless to say, I am hooked on cupcakes. In search of something a little different than the every so trendy Sprinkles, I stumbled upon a little gem on Pico. Buttercake Bakery is squeezed next door to a Subway Sandwich, and if you blink on the block between Prosser and Manning streets, you’d almost miss the blue awning and the tiny flower boxes that dress the outside of the bakery. A step inside the small shop and you really appreciate this bakery for what it is: a bakery. There are no Oz curtains to pull back as the whole kitchen is exposed behind the counter. An operation of 4 people was busy baking with the voices of the Food Network cooing them through their hanging television set. The bakery case is adorably arranged with various cake tiers and pretty platters (and the baked goods didn’t look too bad themselves). But I wasn’t there for a chocolate chip cookie (which looked divine) or a lemon bar (which was calling my name). I was there for one thing and one thing only: a cupcake.

What I got was much more, for Buttercake offers their signature cupcakes in miniature sizes! That’s right, I can only get a little fat if I want to. So I did what any girl with an appetite would do and purchased 3 miniature cupcakes: Red Velvet, Chocolate with Mocha Buttercream and Vanilla with Vanilla Buttercream. I felt so skinny already, getting three cupcakes for less than the size of regular one. I think I stumbled upon the real Los Angeles oxymoron: diet(ish) cupcakes. While Buttercake doesn’t offer the plethora of flavors that our famed Sprinkles does, they do a great job with the limited items they create. The cupcakes themselves were buttery and moist. The Buttercream was divine: creamy, sweet and ooey gooey. The Cream Cheese frosting on the Red Velvet was to die for. The Mocha frosting took the cake (pun intended, as always) blowing away any cupcake Sprinkles makes. A must go for an only slightly guilty pleasure.

Buttercake Bakery
10595 W. Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90064
$

Nook Who's Talking

It's been a little slow at work this week, I'm not going to lie. Actually, if we're being completely honest, it's been slow for a few weeks (hence the recent influx of posts). So, on this particularly slow Friday, being that it was particularly "Good," and thus so were my otherwise agnostic co-workers, I decided to go out to an actual restaurant for lunch.

I'd heard about Nook Neighborhood Bistro for a while, but just recently decided to make the trip. I have to tell you, although I had the address and cross streets, I did drive by the locale once before finding it. Nook is located in a stripmall on Santa Monica Blvd., just west of Barrington (between Barry and Federal). Although the large mall sign does include Nook amongst it's other tenants, once inside the mall, there is no Nook sign in sight, only a blue sign with a white arrow on it! Hidden in between a pizza joint and a bakery, with no sign!, I knew this place was going to be neato.

It was pretty busy for a lunch hour, but we were seated right away at the communal table in the middle of the small restaurant. Yes, communal table! Let me just tell you that besides eating food at restaurants, my second (and close first) favorite thing to do is eavesdrop on other people's conversations. Between the man on my right telling his female coworker about the potential of missing a meeting due to his appointment at the fertility clinic (he and his wife want a son and want to increase the odds. I just hope he washed his hands before lunch.) and the group on my left, a young couple meeting the parents for the first time and arguing about where to put the couch in their new apartment, it was quite an enjoyable lunch. Not to mention, the food was pretty good as well.

I ordered a cup of Lentil Soup to start ($3), which was topped with a Lemon and Mint Feta - absolutely delish! I hate it when lentil soups are goopy, but this was the perfect consistency, not too creamy, the lentils were firm, but tender, and the broth was really rich and tasty.


I should also mention that I'm trying to keep kosher for Passover, so I was limited to what I could order on the menu. I REALLY wanted the 3 cheese Mac & Cheese which was browned and crispy on top just as it should be. I ended up with a Nicoise Salad ($12), which was just okay. The fresh Ahi Tuna was really fantastic, but the dressing was nothing special and the salad was kind of bland. I'm not going to hold this against them, as it was probably the most boring item on the menu. My lunch date, Stephanie, chose the Grilled Albacore Sandwich ($9) which was dressed with a apple fig chutney (to die for) and pickled red onions. She said the focaccia was really fresh and delicious too, of course, I just drooled looking at it. Steph ordered a side of Caesar Salad, which the menu describes as "famous," and for goodness sake, get this salad a star on Hollywood Blvd. The dressing, which truly revolves around the unique addition of a whole grain mustard, is so fantastic and different than any caesar I've ever had. The salad is sprinkled with fried capers and is just a delite.

Nicoise Salad

Grilled Albacore Sandwich

I really want to go back here for dinner as it's romantic, secluded and has a great menu. Plus, "nook" is just plain fun to say.

Nook Neighborhood Bistro-
11628 Santa Monica Blvd.
West Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 207-5160
$

Brown Baggin' It

Here are two great fine foods stores/delis that will leave you begging to trade your bagged lunch for anything on their menus.

LARCHMONT VILLAGE WINE, SPIRIT & CHEESE
Larchmont Village Wine Spirit & Cheese is by far one of the best sandwich shops/ gourmet markets in Los Angeles. There's one way in and one way out of this small shop and the menu's even smaller. However, any of the 5 sandwiches that the deli crafts are heaven in your mouth. Your choice of Ciabatta or French Baguette, each sandwich overflows with meat, cheese, baby greens, one of their homemade aiolis and oil and vinegar. Don't worry, there's a veggie sandwich with roasted peppers and avocado that isn't too shabby either. If you eat meat, go for the Turkey Sandwich on your first round - you can't go wrong.

While you're in line (which might be long, by the way), take a look at the walls stocked with specialty cheeses, condiments and crackers. They have about 10 different flavors of mustard! It's the little things...

LVWS&C
223 North Larchmont Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90004
(323) 856-8699
$



BAY CITIES
With a little more room to walk around, Bay Cities provides plenty of "pacing space" while you try to decide what to order. Between their sandwich menu and their hot and cold deli items, you better come hungry, and you better come back so you can try everything.

The Hot Pastrami Sandwich is a sandwich to write home about. Make sure you get "the works," which includes mayo, mustard, onions, pickles, tomatoes, lettuce, Italian dressing & mild or hot peppers. You also MUST TRY the meatballs - melt in your mouth meat, and a sauce that tastes like it's been simmering for hours. The flavor is unmatched. The Chicken and Eggplant Parmesans are also delish and worth a bite. If you make friends with the hot deli man (not "hot" as in good looking, unless you're into 40 something Italians) he'll be sure to give you a sample of whatever's best that day. One thing to note: Bay Cities is most popular during the 12:30-2pm workday lunch hour. Hit them up earlier or later, or email/fax your order an hour and fifteen ahead and you should be good to go.

Bay Cities is also a large specialty market with Italian pastas, sauces, cookies and canned goods. So, if you do have to wait for your lunch, you won't be bored. You might just end up spending more than you originally planned!

Bon Apetit!

Bay Cities
1517 Lincoln Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 395-8279
$