LA for Dinner, LA for Breakfast

A good guide is one who picks you up from the airport and says,
"You hungry? Great, I know delicious Thai place. It's a total dive."
The thing I love about a 12-hour trip is that you have a very short window to have a bad meal. Couple it with a cousin that knows how to eat and you're bound to have two great meals like this:

Dinner: Sri Siam Cafe makes a duck curry that melts in your mouth- pineapple, peppers, whole tomatoes and perfectly cooked duck. A Tom Kha Gai with some heat, a beef salad to cool you off, and a Sapporo to wash it down. Here the owner runs out in his chef's coat to make a delivery, there's neatly written Thai script on the whiteboard (OK, I don't know what messy Thai script looks like), the "mild" means "damn spicy," and you can bring your own beer in from the liquor store next door. A chill and authentic lil dive.


Breakfast:  If the bacon waffle I had in NY and Jumpin Java's Cinnamon-Kiss French Toast had to get in the ring together and battle it out for fattiest fat girl breakfast, I'm not sure who would win. The baguette is dipped in brandy egg batter and glazed in sugar and cinnamon, towered on top of caramelized bananas and walnuts, and showered with powdered sugar. I've never put aside a cup of butter and a bottle of syrup so immediately.

 

Jumpin Java is a pleasant throw back- The faded green and yellow color scheme hints at their 15 year history and so does the genuine friendliness of their servers. They're nice, but not overly nice- cause they know you'll wander back. 

Oh! And if it's a sunny day you can sit outside and then head over to the farmer's market just two blocks down.

Got the travel bug?
http://jumpinjavarestaurant.com/ (Studio City)

http://www.srisiamcafe1.com/ (North Hollywood)

Ferronlandia in NYC! Day 1: Lower East Side to West Village

I can't think of a better place to spend my birthday. I've never had a bad time in New York. I've snuck into the planetarium for a private showing, raided a TISH party for their beer, smiled and nodded as my friend told the cops I was French and didn't understand that public drinking was illegal in America, and eaten more than I thought was humanly possible- but no, I've never had a bad time.

So here I am again, right off the red-eye and into my first day with my partner in crime Agustina, who lives in the lower east side. The highlights:
1. Brunch at Clinton Street Baking Co. It smells like banana walnut in here. Fluffy pancakes to balance out the southern breakfast of eggs, cheesy grits and fried green tomatoes. Service was fast and everything at neighboring tables also looked delicious.

2. Walk around east village vintage shops, we scored at Buffalo Exchange, the prices are super fair and there are great finds. Walk down E 9th and you'll find a bunch more.

3. Dumplings in chinatown. $1 for five pork dumplings. $10 for 80. In case you were having a dumpling party. You'll get them and devour them faster than you can say... "is this wrong?"

4. Falafel at Mamoun's. Yes, I know every NYU kid alive knows about this place, but every time I come to New York I have to have it, and everyone who I visit loves an excuse to get it.
"Where's that place again, with the good fa-"
"Mamoun's. Let's go."

5. Les Nubians at the Le Poisson Rouge.

We came up on this show while browsing for nightime activities on the google and what a good find! I've been listening to these two since high school and they sounded beautiful live. The best part of the show may have been the preaching: "To all my sisters! Be masters of your pussy... cross your legs until you get what you want." Followed by frowns and shrugged shoulders from the men in the room, a collective "damn, now I'm definitely not gonna get any tonight." The venue was also dope, intimate yet lots of space and a chill crowd.
After that  it was officially my birthday and it gets a little blurry from then on. Blurry in a good way.

Got the travel bug?
Brunch: http://www.clintonstreetbaking.com/
Shopping: Buffalo Exchange
Other stores
Prosperity Dumpling: 46 Eldridge St
Falafel: http://mamouns.com/
Concert: http://lepoissonrouge.com/
http://www.lesnubians.com/