Tacos Tu Madre opens in West Los Angeles

Tacos Tu Madre opens in West Los Angeles

Westwood Blvd. is a walking street.

Whether you're in Westwood Village or West LA, we are fortunate to have many restaurants along the Boulevard. But as many restaurants as we have to choose from, locals have always lamented the lack of a casual place that serves inventive Mexican fare.

Fortunately for us, that's the same thing that restauranteur Joshua Pourgol thought to himself as he fueled his California travels with, what else, tacos.

Inspired by his many taco tastings, Joshua used his passion for good food and keen understanding of the West Los Angeles community to begin plans for his newest restaurant Tacos Tu Madre.

Tacos Tu Madre is a casual walk-up dining Mexican restaurant that gives a culinary twist to Mexican taco classics, such as a chorizo and egg taco, that is actually a single tortilla topped with a fried egg, chorizo (piece), chili lime crema and guacamole; while the fish taco gives an homage to our Sawtelle Little Asian Corridor with its delightful panko crusted cod, topped with shaved cabbage, citrus crema, Siracha aioli, and pickled red onions.

A favorite of mine, the ceviche inspired ahi tuna tostada was topped with large chunks of ahi tuna and California avocados mixed with a poke sauce that gives this coastal classic an unexpected sweet taste. While my hubby's favorite, the Korean BBQ taco, is made with crispy Bulgogi meat and topped kimchee, pickled red peppers, and shaved Asian cabbage.

Speciality tacos that I have yet to try, include the French-inspired Duck Confit and foie gras taco, an earthy Braised Ostrich, and a Japanese-inspired Unagi taco that's served with steamed rice and ugai, hoisin, coconut cream avocado sauce, Sriracha aioli and furikake.

Other items on the menu include the street corn side dish (esquites), which is a light twist on the traditional crema-heavy street-stand classic, the frozen horchata drink and the cream-cheese stuffed red velvet churros.

While Tacos Tu Madre is now open for your dining pleasure, it officially opens it's doors on November 1, 2015, with a complimentary taco for everyone that follows them on Instagram on opening day.

Tacos Tu Madre is open from Sunday-Wednesday 8 a.m. to midnight, and Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 a.m.

Note: Small eat-in area, but great for take-out.

Tacos Tu Madre
1945 1/2 Westwood Blvd. Los Angeles, CA
(Street and metered parking)

Ana Lydia

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Uplifters Kitchen & Cafe Perfection

Uplifters Kitchen & Cafe Perfection

There's nothing that tastes more like summer than a cool ocean breeze kissing your face while dining al fresco on freshly-made foods that use all the beautiful colors of the season.

It was that charming image in mind, that my hubby and I ventured to Santa Monica to pick-up our morning coffee and a lunch basket on our way to Marina del Rey to spend our Saturday afternoon.

Uplifters Kitchen & Cafe had kindly invited us to try-out their food to-go, but instead turned our wrapped breakfast into a leisurely morning savoring artisan scones, enjoying each bite of the breakfast biscuits, and indulging in the delight of finding something so uniquely Uplifters, that we still revel in the flavor explosions that the breakfast porridge was.

To those unfamiliar with Uplifters Kitchen & Cafe, a Hispanic woman-owned restaurant in the Ocean Park district of Santa Monica, it's a year old restaurant and coffee house, that prides itself in making everything using only the finest local ingredients.

Their lunch and breakfast menu has a range of baked goods, sandwiches, salads, frittatas, flat breads and daily specials.

Chef and Owner Elisabet Spaulding

True to form, as most Ocean Park restaurants tend to be, this is a small establishment with only a few seats overlooking the window and a couple of tables outside. But insiders shared with me, that Uplifters will be growing soon (stayed tuned!).

While everything is made in house, fresh bottled juices and drinks are sourced from local (Los Angeles-based) indie producers and brands.

Coffee lovers can rejoice! Stumpton Coffee is offered on TAP (Uplifters happens to be one of a handful of restaurants in the Westside that sells this coffee fan favorite - on TAP).

Uplifters also has a full coffee bar that creates your favorite espresso drinks and most menu items are vegetarian or vegan friendly, and everything can be prepared to-go or delivered to local businesses. In addition, coffee beans are sold to take home and brew yourself, while many of the art pieces displayed can also be purchased.

For now, you can enjoy breakfast and lunch every day (except for Sunday) at the restaurant or order to-go.

View Uplifters Kitchen menu and hours here: (http://www.uplifterskitchen.com/)

Ana Lydia

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Whole Animal Menu's in Long Beach

Whole Animal Menu's in Long Beach

The Tasting Menu for all three Michael's Restaurant Group restaurants

I always thank my Mexican ancestry for encouraging to brave non-traditional dishes. Brains, tripe, pig ears, you name, I've had it...and I've loved all these dishes. But one thing I am not as familiar with, is eating a "whole" pig, rabbit, quail or lamb.

This "whole animal" food trend, is something that Michael's Restaurant Group is perfecting at all three of their Long Beach restaurants: Michael's Pizzeria, Michael's on Naples and Chianina Steakhouse.

Michael's Pizzeria

The "whole animal" cooking is similar to butchery, in the sense that nothing from the animal goes to waste. As I said before, I pretty much experienced this before it was a food trend, while others might be familiar with this way of cooking, and eating, because it is done in more rural areas. Being that LA or Long Beach don't qualify as rural cities, whole animal cooking is not often done.

Porchetta, smoked mozzarella, confit artichokes and caramelized onion pizza.

But during a summer tasting headed by renowned Chef David Coleman, I had the opportunity to sample items off the new whole animal menu that are available during the summer and extended to the fall months (depending on seasonality and availability). 

I also learned more about cooking "the whole animal" trend, that is a major focus of Michael's Restaurant Group: beyond using from the tail-to-the-head butchery in cooking, the folks behind Michael's also practice sustainable food policies by visiting the farms to examine the animals they cook with, run their own vegetable and herb garden, and make everything from scratch.

Housemade fennel sausage with rapini and garlic.

Michael's Pizzeria was the first restaurant of our foodie excursion, and also the most casual. Fortunately for us, the food was anything but. 

The pizza had a very thin crust that packed the flavor in not just the dough, but in the house-made fennel sausage made with rapini and garlic which was absolutely delicious.

Duck prosciutto goat cheese mouse, mission fig and aged balsamic appetizer.

Smoked duck neck with homemade cavatelli pasta.

Sliced Liberty Farm duck with lavender and local honey

For our appetizer course we walked down the street to the award-winning restaurant Michael's on Naples. 

A more upscale experience, Michael's on Naples kicked-it-up-a-notch by showcasing how even "blood" and "bones" can be crushed to make an amazing sauce.

Whereas the meat from the duck neck was cooked to make a surprisingly flavorful and hearty smoked duck neck with homemade cavatelli pasta dish.

A Liberty Farm duck was cooked with lavender and local honey and sliced to order. Duck usually being a more robust meat, was cooked in such a way that made the meat tender and delicately sweet flavor. A complete surprise to my palate.

Corned beef tongue, pickled ramps, rye bread crostini and mustard seed vinaigrette.

Whole roasted leg of lamb and Farm Lot 59 summer squash.

Sliced leg of lamb.

For our final meal, we walked to Chianina, which is the newest member in the Michael's Restaurant group.  

Touted as a "boutique steakhouse," Chianina delivers on the white tablecloth restaurant experience, together with the dimly-lit dining room and formal restaurant dress-code.

We started with a corned beef tongue, pickled ramps (sweet onion) rye crostini with mustard seed vinaigrette. An appetizer robust with flavor that was the perfect sedge way to the whole roasted leg of lamb carved in front of us and served with summer vegetables.

To finish our meal, we were given the option to either enjoy a bacon gelato, that was reminiscent of a butter pecan ice cream, or the blueberry muffin gelato.

By the end of the evening, it was perfectly understood how this true, slow food movement brought farm-to-table authenticity to Long Beach; and, working with Devil's Gulch Ranch, these three restaurants and Michael's Pizzeria in Rancho Mirage, use pigs, rabbits, quails and lamb in their entirety in different dishes. As a foodie, I appreciated the attention to detail in all dishes, but also the creativity in perfecting a trend that very few people are familiar with.

I highly recommend that my South Bay/Long Beach friends stop by any of these three restaurants for a special night out and enjoy this new trend.  From a more casual lunch to a perfectly staged night-out, everyone now has various options to try to whole animal trend in Long Beach.

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Peter B's, Monterey's ONLY Award-Winning Brew Pub

Peter B's, Monterey's ONLY Award-Winning Brew Pub

When on vacation, hubby and I tend to gravitate in two directions when choosing restaurants: high end/foodie faire or local dives. We rarely, if ever, dine in the hotel restaurant unless it's for breakfast. 

But on our recent #UnminivanMoments #CaliforniaGold road trip up the California coast, the lovely folks at the Portola Hotel and Spa in Monterey invited us to enjoy after dinner drinks and appetizers at Peter B's brew pub.

A mainstay of the Monterey Peninsula for more than 30 years, Peter B's is recognized for being Monterey's first craft brewery and the 2014 Open Table Diner's Choice Winner. 

The family-friendly pub was recently renovated and added 18 Hi-Def TV's, pool table area, and renovated the outdoors space -which is also dog friendly-.

With Brew Master Kevin Clark and Executive Chef Jason Giles at the helm, Peter B's has developed an extensive menu that goes beyond the traditional bar faire.

Let's first talk about the beer...

Unlike other brew pubs that bottle their bring beer into their establishment, Peter B's brews EVERYTHING on-site; and while many of the fave's are available year round, others, like the absolutely YUMMY Raspberry Ale is only available during, well, raspberry season. So hurry on up, you MUST get it while in season!

Now, for those of you that are a little more adventuresome or like me, not sure what you like, trying a Flight of Beer is a perfect choice! The flight includes six small beer glasses (I'm guessing around 3-4 ounces) selected by Peter B's, or you can select the beer yourself. Price? ONLY $6.50!

While if you know what you like and travel to Monterey often or lets say you live there, another great option is joining the Mug Club. 

This $50 membership (renewed for only $15) includes a personal 25 oz. beer stein that is displayed at Peter B's and yours to use when you come back. You also get discounts off the price of beers as well as exclusive invites to sample new beers and invites to Peter B's monthly Brewer's Dinners and mug club mixers. This is truly an opportunity to mix and mingle with a community of home brewers, beer connoisseurs and enthusiasts.

Now lets talk about the food...

Hotel food, by nature of what it is, is usually never palatable, let alone worthy of a return visit. Then lets talk about pubs, which usually have greasy faire that's basically meant to absorb liquor. Now get this out of your mind before visiting Peter B's.

Their menu is actually quite extensive and welcoming to various tastes. From your mainstay bar food, like cheese sticks, to their dinner and lunch plates, everything on the menu has been recreated with Peter B's gourmet touch. The sauce is seasoned perfectly allowing the flavors of the tomatoes swirl with the flavorful cheese - that is not just your basic mozzarella.

Being only steps away from the ocean, it was quite fitting that we also taste one of my favorite bar foods: fried calamari rings.

Perfection doesn't quite begin to describe the yummy batter that covered these just-fished-today calamari. Crispy, flavorful, and just all around amazing. A MUST TRY whether you stop by for a beer or dinner.

I wasn't excited to try to japaleno poppers. Mostly because they taste the same everywhere I order them. This time? Absolutely not!

The FRESH jalapenos were filled with Mexican cheese (not cream cheese!) and covered in this amazing beer batter and fried to perfection. The jalapenos actually had a crunch while the cheese oozed out.

Life changing I tell ya, life changing!

Peter B's is a MUST STOP next time you're traveling to Monterey. Trust me - you will have an amazing time and eat yummy food while enjoying one of my favorite cities. Or, as I like to call it: Monterey - My heaven on earth.

---

Peter B’s Brewpub

2 Portola Plaza
(Behind Portola Hotel & Spa)
Monterey, CA 93940
Direct & Reservations: (831) 649-2699
Email: peterbsbrewpub@portolahotel.com

Hours:

Monday – Thursday: 4:00pm to 11:00pm
Sunday: 11:00am to 11:00pm
Friday – Saturday: 11:00am to 1:00am
Happy Hour Everyday: 4:00pm to 6:30pm

Follow on Twitter:  @peterbsbrewpub
Like on Facebook
Follow on Google+

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Join me at AREAL Santa Monica

Join me at AREAL Santa Monica

The wonderful folks at Areal Santa Monica invited us to enjoy Sunday dinner at their restaurant. What follows is my true and honest review.
There's three distinct areas in Santa Monica. The tourist area, the locals area and the lifers area. We stick to two. I'll give you two guesses.

Areal - Indoor Decor / Lamp

The locals area is very laid back. Expect to see surfers changing into work clothes from their body suits in the middle of the street; while casual urbanites bike-ride to work.  I actually worked in this area when I repped IKEA.

We're there most Tuesday evenings for the Food Truck festival with Maya in tow.  But on the weekend? You can't get us there since tourists and out-of-towners tend to clog the small streets on their way to Venice.  Me no likey traffic in my 'hood.

But now we have a reason to tread through traffic and folks...

Menu - Areal Restaurant

For those around my age group (cough-cough), you will remember the World Cafe for the many parties, annual New Years Celebrations and Happy Hours.  Truth be told, since I got married before World Cafe closed, and well, happy hours with the girls became a thing of the past, I had not been to its newest incarnation now called Areal.

On a recent weekend, our friend Michael from Eating Around So Cal invited us to preview the Areal Restaurant menu and experience what had become of one of my favorite single-gal restaurants.

This time with hubby in tow, we navigated the Areal Restaurant to sit in their beautiful indoor area.  Let me explain something for those that remember The World Cafe: Areal upgraded the space and interconnected rooms and the outdoor area into a beautiful space that includes a dog-friendly patio, indoor sit-down restaurant, outdoor waiting area, and the bar.

We sat down with Michael to digest the extensive dinner menu of locally-grown and sustainable food items in their restaurant area, which opens into the large and beautifully-lit patio. The indoor space we found to be appealing for date nights and even special occasions, the outdoor area was a bit more casual and hosted several lively conversations while we were there; while the bar was, well, a bar.

The menu was completely revamped from what I remember, and unapologetically California Cuisine.   For my out-of-California readers, let me explain what California Cuisine is: beautifully presented fusion food that is made with fresh and local ingredients.

While the food was great and worthy of a return visit, the service was more so.  Expect both thoughtful and attentive service that allows you to lounge and enjoy your conversation when you dine at Areal.

Areal Restaurant

2820 Main Street

Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 392-1661

Reservations: Recommended

Hours: 
Sunday, Tuesday - Thursday: 10 a.m. - 12 a.m.
Friday - Saturday: 10 a.m. - 1 a.m.
Monday: 5 p.m. - 12 a.m.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Areal-Restaurant/206416826096093?ref=hl

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArealSM

***TO VIEW MORE PHOTOS OF OUR DINNING EXPERIENCE CLICK HERE***

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