Waterloo & City - Culver City

After a summer day on the beach enjoying a few spliffs while listening to the sound of the crashing waves, it only seemed appropriate to indulge on some savory munchies and a lot of cold drinks at one of my favorite restaurants in Los Angeles: "Waterloo and City"

Waterloo and City is a gem in the heart of Mar Vista in an area where trendy restaurants are slowly taking over. There are so many choices for good food, even if you end up disliking "Waterloo & City" you'll find another great eatery to have exquisite drinks and inventive food.

One of the things I love about this place is that it's great for casual Happy Hours with friends at the end of a long day AND it's also a great location to bring somebody for a special date or to celebrate an event. The food at this gastro pub is to die for and the menu is constantly being updated with creative items that will make your head spin. One of the appetizers on the menu that night was "Bone marrow and sea urchin salad".

I walked in looking like a beach bum but we were still welcome with wide smiles from the friendly staff, and we sat down at one of the few remaining tables. We noticed that they now start their Happy Hours earlier on Sunday and you can now enjoy cheap drinks and succulent food form 3p-7p.

The menu had changed since the last time I had been there and it was even more mouthwatering. The first thing I wanted to order was the "Charcuterie plate" which is a French term that refers to a specific type of cured and fermented meat usually accompanied with bread, mustard and pickled cornichons. I browsed through the menu quickly and couldn't find my favorite appetizer but I did see an item called "Salumi plate" which I assumed was their new name for that awesome assortment of goodness but I wasn't quite sure. So....I asked our waitress: "Excuse me, What is a Salumi plate?" her response was: "It's Italian" ....errr....Thank you lady, I'm not sure I was asking for the origins of your new menu item, but I don't mind being educated even on Sundays so I restrained from making a wise ass comment and simply asked again: "What is it?". That's when I found out that my "Charcuterie plate" had just been renamed with its Italian version "Salumi plate". So I ordered it. We also ordered a wild mushrooms flatbread with truffle oil, some sweet corn Raviolis and a tuna tartare  I added a glass of their Happy Hour Wine on our order and sipped on my ice-cold water while waiting for our food to arrive.

The Salumi plate actually surprised me in a good way: It seemed like an upgrade from its previous version and "Charcuterie plate 2.0" was a great selection of cured meats. The raviolis were very sweet but it was an original recipe and we enjoyed every bite. The tuna tartare was fresh and well seasoned and the only mistake they made that night was the overcooked flatbread....I think it may have stayed in their oven a little too long. But after scraping off the cancerous parts of our mini pizza, we finished everything on the table. There are tons of other options that are both filling and indulging and I invite you to take a look at their website: http://www.waterlooandcity.com The presentation of all the dishes were outstanding and I would highly recommend that you try this place if you ever visit this neighborhood.

We left with a smile, a full stomach and a desire to go back there soon.

Omelet with Roasted Zucchinis

It's Saturday morning, I wake up too early and start my lazy day. I make my way from the bed to the couch and lay down after remembering to grab the remote control. I turn the TV on, but I'm not sure what I end up watching because I'm still sleepy. I enjoy my morning coffee and roll the first spliff of the day with excitement...

After realizing the TV had been stuck on some brainwashing infomercial for most of the morning, I quickly changed the channel to something more mind stimulating and ended up watching cartoons...

Lazy Saturday had certainly started on the right foot and I was ready to roll a second spliff and drink a second cup of coffee while Scooby-Doo and his pals solved more mysteries.... Lazy Saturday was also going to include a nap, a beer or two, a dip in the pool, another nap and it certainly wasn't going to include a trip to the grocery store...

The freezer is usually full of goodies meant to be thrown in the oven for a few minutes before being devoured by a few stoners in heat, but we had already run out of all the good munchies and between the bag of frozen spinach and the bag of frozen peas laid an ice pack that almost looked more desirable than the other options...

Lazy Saturday was about to come to an end: I either had to go out to get food or I had to make the best out of the few ingredients laying around the kitchen. Driving wasn't an option and I scattered all the goodies that would make a perfect breakfast: potatoes and eggs. These ingredient are always laying around and they've saved the day on a few occasions. I also noticed that a zucchini was resting at the bottom of the fridge and decided to cut it in slices and roast them to serve with what was now becoming a gourmet omelet.

I fried the sliced potatoes for a while with olive oil and Italian herbs...Peeling and slicing weren't part of the plan when I first woke up but I carried on and cooked a basil and curry omelet to go with it. I then topped it all with the roasted zucchinis. It was a filling and yummy breakfast but definitely put a dent in the "Lazy" day...

Baked Avocado with Egg

I recently saw a post on Facebook about this quick and easy healthy breakfast option...then I saw it again on Twitter, then I saw it again on Instagram... and I quickly realized that this recipe was going viral right before my eyes.

Of course I don't believe anybody who re-posted this recipe actually tried it nor will they ever, but the picture made them salivate enough that they decided to share this creation with the rest of the world....so I decided to test it for you.

I have to admit that this is a stoner's dream recipe for a few reasons: it's fast, it's easy, and it's a good alternative to the RedBull and M&Ms you usually have for breakfast.

Now I will say that calling this a "recipe" is a bit of a stretch since it really just consists of cracking an egg in an avocado half and adding a few spices on top before throwing the concoction in the oven for a few minutes...but that's why it's a healthy stoner's best friend: It is literally made in less than one minute and bakes for about 5-10 minutes depending on how you like your yolk (soft or hard).

Depending on how hungry you are, you might want to crack a second egg in the other half of the avocado...especially if you have the munchies

As far a being a viral recipe....I'm still a little surprised that this item would make people click on their mouse enough times to share it with the world but then again some people think deviled eggs are worthy of entering a cooking contest..

Enjoy this as a breakfast item, a snack or even as an appetizer.

Menchie's - Culver City

You say Menchie's, I say Munchies. In the battle for the Frozen Yogurt market in Los Angeles, "Menchie's" has come out a winner for a lot of reasons.

First of all, this place is any Stoner's paradise. When other stores will offer you a free sample of your choice, Menchie's lets you pick up as many miniature sampling cups as you desire and you could technically "taste" every flavor there and fill up with frozen yogurt for free if you're not inclined to add toppings. But if you're still hungry after giving every flavor a proper try, gaze at the incredible variety of toppings they offer from fruits to peanut butter cups and grated coconut, and start making you own "Best frozen yogurt" ever (Try not to eat too many topping because I'm not sure you're really allowed to "sample" them. Even if you don't want to eat any yogurt because of your intolerance to lactose, you can still hit the toppings bar and fill your cup with some delicious treats and a variety of chocolate.

Now the sugar rush is not the only thing that's appealing to the average stoner: The pretty vivid colors in the store and the smooth colorful plastic spoons that we get to keep as a weird souvenir of our foggy trip to the ice-cream parlor all enhance this childish but rejuvenating experience.

You say Menchie's, I say: "Let's roll one so I can try to fill my cup with as many toppings as I possibly can and still manage to finish it all".

In other words: Menchie's is where we all hope we end up after we die. After meeting at the crossroads, maybe we should hit up the "Menchie's" by the heaven's gate....Duuuude!

http://www.Menchies.com

"Cinco De Mayo" in September - Culver City

Whether it's for Monday football, Taco Tuesday or Hump day...whether it's to celebrate end of the week for the 9-5ers or fearlessly treat ourselves with some of the most decadent comfort food, every day ending with a "Y" is a good day to eat Mexican food.

So after a few beers at a local bar I decided to stop by one of my favorite Mexican restaurant in Culver City: "Cinco de Mayo" to get my usual fish tacos and Carne Asada tacos but that night I decided to be even more daring and I tried their Seafood cocktail on a tostada. It was a refreshing mix of shrimps, octopus, calamaris, and fish with the essentials (chopped Cilantro, tomato and onions). It was fresh and delicious and I actually ended up going back to get more the following night on our way to the Hollywood bowl to see B.B king with my friend from France. We ordered a side of Ceviche to make sure we weren't go hungry while sitting on our asses listening to music, and the tostadas were so crunchy that the people sitting in front of us during the performance weren't too happy about our choice of picnic, but after opening a few beers and focusing on the amazing music coming from the amphitheater, I quickly forgot that I was annoying them, and resumed enjoying the show....with a few breaks to the bathroom.

The Ceviche was covered with fresh avocado and it was ridiculously cheap but incredibly savory. If you were on your way to the way overrated "Tito's Tacos" but don't feel like waiting in line or ordering crap that looks like crap... then go next door to "Cinco de Mayo".

"Back on the beach" Café - Santa Monica

Sometimes it doesn't really matter what you eat as long as you're enjoying some good company with you feet in the sand. "Back on the beach" Café is one of the few restaurants in Los Angeles where you can actually take off your sandals and feel the warm grains of sand massaging the bottom of your feet. It had always been a crowd pleaser even though the food is nothing to rave about, but their newly acquired liquor license which allows customers to enjoy a beer or some wine with their meal, just turned this loungy eatery into a not-to-be-missed destination for tourists and Angelinos alike.

We tried their fish Tacos and their "Deluxe Veggie" Burgers which were both satisfying but far from memorable, but the view on the ocean and the instant tan (or sunburn) made it all worthwhile.

Couscous Salad and Merguez Sausages

Sometimes traveling to an exotic destination only takes a typical meal from another country and a lot of imagination. Since I don't lack imagination, the only thing I needed to feel like I was spending a summer day in the south of France was a typical Summer BBQ meal. A few days ago, a friend surprised me with this delicious diner: Merguez Sausages and a savory couscous salad (A.K.A Taboule) and I was overwhelemed with joy and gratitude.

A Merguez sausages is a spicy blend of lamb and beef with mediterranean seasoning, cilantro and harissa. They are hard to find in Los Angeles but most French people have their favorite spot they like to go to when they want to get their Merguez fix. However, if you've never tried them before and want to give them a try I would highly recommend: "Payless Internation Market" on Venice Bld and Westwood Ave (10817 Venice Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90034). This store is a little gem in West L.A, offering a variaty of Halal meat (don't plan on buying any pork there"), Feta cheese from various countries, and cheap but flavorful fruits and vegetables.

Unfortuinately, the stash of charcoal bricks and our supplies of gas were both gone and we had to grill the sausages on the stove instead of the BBQ, which was a bit of a disappointment but roasting the merguez in the oven for about 5-10 minutes after cooking them was a perfect way to get the sausages crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside.

We enjoyed this diner with some good wine, we had a digestive spliff and I was esctatic when I had the chance to eat the leftovers the day after.