Blue Apron... One of the best things I've come across since not being able to eat out as much!

Sooooooo I finally decided that I really need to start blogging again.
I found that it was so much fun when I used to do it, and just lost my umph on my last trip abroad... Well here I am again, so let's see how this goes.

My posts probably won't be as often, but I promise to post anytime I head somewhere yummy that is worth checking out.

For this blog though I thought I would write about this fantastic little food delivery service that I started. Since I don't eat out as much this really helps because it keeps things fun, always different and let's face it the food is fantastic!!!  It also has me making food that I would have never had the guts to try before.  And they do look intimidating, but I promise they are pretty easy to make.
Hopefully some of you will check it out, because honestly it's the BEST!!!

Blue Apron
http://www.blueapron.com/

Blue Apron sends a box of 3 meals a week, all fresh ingredients and some of the most fantastic recipes I've ever tried!
I live alone, and would tend to waste half my groceries that I would buy for the week.  Or I would be running to the store 3 or 4 times to pick up what I was making for dinner.  And with working full time who has time for all of that?!

Well fret no more!  I now get a delivery once a week to my doorstep for the 3 meals that I can make whenever I want.
Some much time saved, it's truly a lifesaver!!!

This is the box that arrives for me every Tuesday... Oh did I mention you chose which day you would like your delivery?  How awesome is that?!

When you open the box you have a letter and the 3 recipes for the week.  All the food is stored in the cooler.

This was all the food that was in my box for the week.  Everything is labeled making is super easy a total no brainer!

Rice Flaked-Crusted Salmon with Miso-Smashed Japanese Sweet Potatoes & Mustard Greens

Chop and prep and it's ready for cooking.

Dinner is served!

Crispy Fish Tacos with Salsa Verde & Red Cabbage Slaw

Chop chop chop and you are ready to cook.  This is a lot of work, but it's part of the fun!  I mean I even made home made Salsa Verde!

Dinner is served!!

Pan-Seared Salmon with Arugula, Candy Striped Beets & Horseradish Sour Cream

Grains of Paradise-Crusted Steak with Preserved Lemon, Eggplant & Israeli Couscous Salad

Cuban Sandwiches with Sweet Plaintain and Kale Salad

Blue Apron has made me a better cook, and with becoming a better cook I love bringing my friends over to share this wonderful food with.
I hope that you try it and if you do please let me know how it is!!
Happy cooking!!!

XO Drea

Bestia... Literally one of the BEST Italian places I have EVER been!!

Bestia
2121 7th Place, Los Angeles, CA  90021
(213) 514-5724
http://bestiala.com/

UMMMM WOW.... Don't even really know how to start off this post!
I'm not huge on Italian food at all... I honestly have 1 Italian place that I love to go to in LA until I came here.
Bestia is literally amazing!!  That's probably why the wait is over a month for a reservation!
I had made a reservation for a month and a half away when I reached out to my girlfriend asking if she's ever been... She then tells me "Well you're in luck... We have reservations for this coming week and we have an open space if interested".  OMG I was totally interested!!  So there I was 2 days later going to Bestia for one of the most amazing Italian dinners EVER!
Everything about this place is cool... From the location, to the drinks, to the decor!  I was definitely in LOVE!!

Bestia Does It Best
http://www.laweekly.com/2013-01-03/eat-drink/bestia-reviewed-downtown-los-angeles/

BESTIA
This is the building from the outside... It's super cool in the industrial part of downtown LA... A warehouse converted into this beautiful restaurant inside.

Bestia
I've already made a reservation for my next meal here!

Bespoke (let our bartenders craft a cocktail to best suit you)
Hell Fire and Honey Sour
I got Bespoke for both my cocktails… I think it's such an awesome concept they have by doing this… You kind of get surprised each time!

Spicy Tequila Maid

Creamy Polenta.  cornmeal.  sweet onions.  potatoes.
Soooo good and no doubt goes straight to the thighs!

Grilled Octopus & Calamari.  arugula.  mixed mushrooms.  fennel.  aged balsamic.  chili lemon vinaigrette.
I'm going to say everything was amazing cause it truly was… But I really love octopus and this was probably one of my favorite dishes of octopus I've ever had!

Spaghetti Rustichella.  sea urchin.  squid ink bottarga.  garlic.  calabrian chiles.  breadcrumbs.
This was soooo good I literally wanted to order a 2nd helping!

Grilled Whole Orata.  rapini ripassati.  anchovy paste.  dandelion greens.  chili oil.

Valrhona Fair Trade Bittersweet Chocolate Budino Tart.  salted carmel.  cacao crust.  olive oil.  sea salt.

Immediately the next morning I made my reservation for the next time to eat here!!  I literally couldn't get enough and I can't stop thinking about this place!!!

Top 5 restaurants for sure!!!

Racion... Tapas done well!

Racion
119 W. Green Street, Pasadena, CA  91105
(626) 396-3090
http://racionrestaurant.com/
 

So you probably know what high expectations I have of tapas... Especially since experiencing them in Barcelona, but I've got to say Racion has some pretty stellar food!

I love Spanish tapas, it's become one of my favorite foods since my trip... And since I've come home I never thought I would get anything even close to what I tried out there.  Well I was wrong!

I literally wish I was with more people because it was soooo hard to stick with six items to try, and I have been trying really hard not to eat myself into a food coma lately... 

Racion is located in Pasadena, and even though Pasadena is not that far I tend to never travel there... I hope that after reading this some of you are intrigued to go.  I promise you won't be disappointed!!
I will definitely be back to explore the menu and the food some more!
Racion only serves beer, wine and cider.  The cider that they serve is a Spanish style and it was REALLY good and REALLY different... It really reminds me of apple cider vinegar, but in a good way not a bad way!  When drinking it with the food it pairs so perfect!  The flavor of the cider helped bring out the flavors of the food to another level!

At Ración, Teresa Montaño and Loretta Peng's Basque Food Is Among the City's Best
http://www.laweekly.com/2014-02-06/eatdrink/at-raciandoacuten-teresa-montaandntildeo-and-loretta-pengs-basque-food-is-among-the-citys-best/

Basque in it's Glow
http://articles.latimes.com/2012/may/26/food/la-fo-gold-20120526
 



Salt Cod Fritters, Lemon Cream
HOLY COW these were amazing!  Crispy on the outside with a soft texture inside that melts in your mouth!  AMAZING!!

Crispy Prawns, Spicy Tomato, Garlic
So before I went to Spain I never really cared for prawns as much as I do now... And my favorite part honestly is eating the head!  The flavors inside the head are so rich and intense... I can't understand what took me so long to finally try it!

Lamb Meatballs, Basque Cider, Picon, Licorice Greens

Crispy Artichokes, Candied Jamon, Lemon and Anchovy
I mean... Do I need to say more?

Roasted Heirloom Carrots, Coconut Gel, Brown Butter Crumbs

House-Made Squid Ink Pasta, Mussels, Piquillo Peppers Saffron
I LOVE LOVE LOVE squid ink pasta.... Honestly one of my favorites!!

Crema Catalana
Spanish Custard, Date Sauce, Pistachio Meringue
OMG I couldn't get enough of this!!!  The texture and flavor were beyond good!

If you're looking for some authentic Spanish Tapas, Racion is your place!!
Go and enjoy... I know I did!!  And looking forward to going back for more.

XO Drea

 

Post & Beam... Really far, but worth the drive!

FINALLY I have a new blog post!!! 
I was eating out so much I literally had to take a break... One for my pocketbook and two for my pants!  HAHA
So I have this restaurant list that I've been trying to get through, and I finally thought it was time to try Post & Beam.
When driving to the restaurant I kept thinking... Where the heck is this place?! (It's literally pretty far from where I live, especially with that good ole LA traffic)
And then when we arrived I thought... Where the heck am I?!
Baldwin Hills?!  Who the heck drives out to Baldwin Hills?!  I guess I do?  And I'm really glad I did.
The restaurant is in a mall parking lot... Nothing fancy, even when walking inside. But the food... The food was SUPER tasty!!  I would say this place is a mix of soul or comfort food...
The menu is SUPER small, so if you're a picky eater I would really check it out to see if anything sounds good to you!  Me I eat everything so I literally hardly ever look at the menu!

"Maple Whiskey Sour" Maple infused Whiskey, Lime, Lemon... Becoming one of my go to drinks lately.

Wood Oven Mussels & Calamari with Spicy Tomato Sauce and Lemon Relish
I feel as though you can never go wrong with mussels... and the spicyness of the sauce was pretty amazing!

Shrimp Grits with Beef Bacon, Roasted Peppers and Shrimp Butter
WOW I loved loved loved this!!  But I'm a pretty big fan of grits when it's prepared correctly.

Kale Salad, Roasted Peppers, Broccolini, Chickpeas in Pumpkin Seed Dressing
You can never go wrong with a kale salad!

Certified Angus Beef Short Ribs, Fresh Horseradish
Mac n' Cheese
Grilled Baby Brocolli, Sweet Garlic and Lemon Vinaigrette
So the way the menu works is you order one large item and it then comes with 2 small sides.  We thought the sides were going to be a lot bigger, but it worked out with the amount of food we had ordered.

Bread pudding, chocolate pieces, bourbon sauce and vanilla bean ice cream
I've got to say this is one of my favorite desserts!  Also this is one of my favorite bread pudding's I've ever had!!

I don't know that I'll ever drive out here again... However I'm glad I made the drive at least once!

I'm not super big on comfort food, but everything that we had was extremely extremely tasty!!!

If you're close to this area though I say it's a must!!  No fuss restaurant with flavors that will keep your taste buds wanting more!!

XO Drea

Kabuto Edomae Sushi… Nigiri, Yoroi or Kabuto course?

Kabuto Edomae Sushi

5040 W. Spring Mountain Rd, Las Vegas, NV

(702) 676-1044

Kabutolv.com

Even with no sign, Las Vegas sushi restaurant prospers
http://www.reviewjournal.com/entertainment/restaurants/even-no-sign-las-vegas-sushi-restaurant-prospers

Kabuto is a minimalists dream... From the decor to the sushi.  And the sushi being minimal doesn't mean it lacks on taste.  This place is truly amazing and will be appreciated by any sushi lover!

There are no signs outside and just a sliver of a window which makes it so interesting that you just need to know what's inside.

A small glimpse of the small dining room inside.

This restaurant is really unique in that they serve aperitif sake which they make in-house.  I've never had this before and it was literally the best sake I've ever had in my life!!  They also serve 3-year-old imported artisan shoyu (soy sauce)... I hardly used any, but from the little I used the flavor was amazing!!
I literally felt like I was taken to Japan to the most authentic sushi dinners that I've ever had a chance to experience.
Kabuto servces 3 pre set courses; 1 nigiri, 1 yoroi and 1 kabuto.  We all went with the nigiri, but I kind of wish that I would've went for yoroi since they had some cooked dishes I would have liked to try as well!
Also we went with a group of 4 and sat at a table… I really wish we would have sat at the sushi bar just for the experience alone!

Aperitif Sake (lime flavor), we also ordered another one later and they served us Fiji Apple
YUM YUM YUM!!

Octopus Sashimi

Tuna, Cornet, Spotted Knifejaw

Hon-maguro Chu-Toro, Red Rock cod, Black Sea Perch, Young Yellowtail, Sweet Omlet

Kamashita Fatty Tuna, Hon-Maguro Triangle

Sweet Shrimp (live), Striped Pig, Cherry Stone Clam

Oysters

Scallop (live), Coastal Trevally and I don't remember the rest :(

Homemade Green Tea Ice Cream

This has literally GOT to be one of the best sushi experiences I have EVER had!!!  Do not miss a chance to go to this place when you're in Vegas!  They are also planning on opening in California and I really hope it happens soon!  Blogging about this place is making me REALLY miss their sushi!

XO Drea