HAND-DRAWN LOVE / 113

the words of paul simon in a hue from an image. –

(photo and hand drawn type by for designlovefest)

11.08.18

EAST SIDE LA TOUR!

you could probably argue that los angeles is one of the most exciting food cities in the world right now and there is no shortage of fun new places popping up all the time. i live on the east side of the city, (i consider the east anything from east hollywood to south pasadena) which is FULL of cool places to explore, new cocktail bars to try, lunch spots, farmer’s markets and casual dinner joints. i love to cook at home but i also like to get inspired and try new places. transportation issues are real in the city, getting places, parking, etc so we partnered with to create this east side food guide. i’ve used for years and really appreciate how accessible it makes traversing los angeles. i get really anxious thinking about parking logistics and i appreciate not having to worry about that. they also have a new feature that lets you request a ride for a friend which is awesome because sometimes an LAX pick up isn’t the easiest but i don’t want someone visiting me having to pay for their own airport ride.

here are some highlights from our food day and i am adding a few faves in as well!

: a new-ish local spot in our neighborhood where we easily grab a beer and a pretzel on the weekends. it has a cute, laid back retro vibe.

: we love this authentic mexican restaruant in eagle rock. we eat at the bar on a friday nights and order the tacos, elote, and a few modelos. their food is really delicious!

a few minutes down the road we stopped at , the sister restaurant to pine and crane in silver lake. the minced pork rice bowl and the shrimp wontons are my favorite!

also, bonus of riding in an is getting to look out the window and take in the scene. we drove through the cutest neighborhoods by occidental college with tons of pretty craftsman homes that i’d never noticed before.

a quick pick me up coffee from , basically a walk up coffee window on york street. love their tiles too!

and if it’s happy hour, check out across the street. it’s a good date spot.

and then took a ride over to the thursday night which is a nice treat in the fall. it’s from 4-7pm so the weather is great, the vibe is chill and you can grab a bunch of snacks for dinner. i highly recommend taking an there because the parking can be tricky in that neighborhood.

we tried the gourmet rice balls from a stand there and wow they were so good!

when in south pasadena try out . love the diner vibe in there and they make great classic cocktails! we always share a bbq plate and sit at the counter!

and then a short 10 minute ride to check out some new and old faves in highland park. there is SO many new spots opening on figeuroa, it’s exciting. we’ve been spending a lot of weekends just strolling from place to place.

for queso and classic texan cuisine!!

is somewhere i go at least once a week, it makes me so happy. i love getting meats and cheese there, along with other specialty foods when i’m entertaining. it’s really the perfect little grocery shop.

then we tried the new vinyl bar, . we ordered manhattans and played a few songs on the jukebox before dinner. i like it in there!

is also a great breakfast and lunch spot, i love the breakfast tacos and the moros cakes! definitely check it out.

is definitely a new favorite, we loveee their pizza! we tried out the new restaurant in the back and the ambiance was super nice, we loved the wine but didn’t love our food as much as the pizza in the front…just gotta be honest here. but it’s a nice patio and the food is pretty good.

and grab a bottle of wine from on your way home!!! they also have tastings there and it’s nice to feel a part of the community and enjoy wine and cheese.

it was a very cool day exploring for joanie’s birthday! do you have any east side spots i gotta try out?! xx bri

photos by: designlovefest + ivan solis

(this post was sponsored by )

3 COMMENTS

11.02.18

HI THERE

happy friday everyone. i am sitting alone on my couch in my robe and 4 blankets (i am becoming that person and i love it) i thought i would just come check in because i haven’t in a while. the past month has been kinda strange…

(more…)

19 COMMENTS

11.02.18

PIE WORKSHOP!

this is a post you’re going to want to bookmark because we’re giving away some serious pie secrets from the dessert genius Valerie of . we first met valerie a few weeks back at the Samsung dinner we attended and we were blown away by her pies and her charm. we asked if she’d want to offer a little pie workshop to get us prepped for the holidays and she kindly agreed and our friends over at , who are always game for our fun food related ideas, offered to sponsor the event. we had the best afternoon, making pies, sipping mulled wine, eating cheese and feeling very fall and festive! and we’re sharing all the recipes below! let us know if you make one, we’d love to hear how it turned out.

we started the day with making a roasted grape galette which is essentially a pie without the top crust. it’s really easy to make and doesn’t require the crimping or a pie pan.

Roasted Grape Galette

2 Quarts Purple Seedless Grapes, sliced in half
2 Ounces salted butter
2 teaspoons corn starch
12 ounces Vanilla cream (recipe below)
one 13” Pie dough Round (pie dough recipe below)
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 sprigs fresh thyme
½ teaspoon Fleur de Sel

• Heat Oven to 350F

• In a medium sized bowl, pour melted butter over prepared grapes and thoroughly combine.

• Sprinkle cornstarch over the buttered grapes and mix until evenly coated.

• Place the dough on a baking sheet. Evenly spread the Vanilla cream in the center of the dough creating a 9 inch circle.

• Pour the prepared grapes onto the vanilla cream creating a tall mound.

• Lift one side of the dough onto the fruit and press down so it gently adheres. Continue all the way around the galette creating 5-6 folds in total.

• Refrigerate until firm to the touch. valerie and i are pictured below with the that i’ve had for a little over a year now and love!

• Using a pastry brush, evenly paint egg wash over the dough. Generously sprinkle sugar over the entire

• Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown.

• Finish with bits of fresh thyme and a sprinkle of fleur de sel.

Vanilla Cream

6 ounces whole milk
1.75 ounces sugar
1 Tablespoon light brown sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla paste
2 ounces heavy cream
2 large egg yolks
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 ounce unsalted butter (cut into small chunks)

• Combine the milk, sugars, and vanilla paste in a medium saucepan and bring to just a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

• Whisk together the heavy cream, egg yolks, and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Continue whisking as you slowly stream in the hot milk mixture. Pour the vanilla cream back into the pan and cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly until the cream thickens. Remove from heat and stir in the butter until melted.

• Pour the cream through a fine mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Cover the surface of the cream with plastic wrap so it doesn’t form a skin, refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours.

the foundation of every good pie, the pie crust! Valerie is a crust lover and rolls her dough out thick, it makes it easier to handle and gives a solid base. one tip she gave and that i found helpful is that once your dough is rolled out, don’t pull on it. you can pinch it, fold it, etc but no pulling!

Buttery Pie Crust
makes enough for one 9-inch double-crust pie, two 9-inch single-crust pies, or fifteen 4-inch hand pies

2 ½ cups (12.5 ounces) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 ½ sticks (10 ounces) unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
1/4 to 1/3 cup (2 to 2.5 ounces) cold water

• To make the dough in a food processor: Put the flour, sugar, and salt in the processor bowl and pulse once or twice to combine. Drop the pieces of butter through the feed tube, continuing to pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Slowly add 1/4 cup water as you continue pulsing a few more times, then add more water if necessary; stop when the dough just starts to come together.

• To make the dough by hand: Put the flour, sugar, and salt into a medium bowl and mix together with a fork or small whisk. Cut the butter into the dough using a pastry cutter or a large fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Drizzle 1/4 cup water directly over the dough, mi with the pastry cutter or fork, then add more water if necessary, mi until the dough just comes together.

• Remove the dough from the processor or bowl and form into 2 equal disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 3 days. The dough can be frozen for up to 2 months; thaw in the refrigerator.