3rd Annual LA Beer Float Showdown

Root beer float grew up over the years and I was lucky enough to indulge in the 3^rd Annual LA Beer Flat Showdown this weekend at Eagle Rock Brewery! Wow. What a haven of creativity and tasty concoctions! Cheers to all the chefs and breweries for their inventiveness and flavorful combinations! 

Thi and Nguyen Tran & Ladyface Ale Companie

Salted Plum Habanero with Plum Pop Rocks

Ilan Hall & Tustin Brewery/Smog City Brewing Co.

CJ Jacobson & Firestone Walker

Laurent Quenioux & Beachwood BBQ & Brewing Co.

Andre Guerrero & Jan Purdy & Eagle Rock Brewery - The Winner!

Vanilla Bean Solidarity Dark Ale with Chocolate Bourbon Ice Cream, Caramelized Cocoa Nibs and PIG Candy

Melting Over Mozza

Ever since dining at, and falling in love with, Pizzeria Mozza when it first opened, I’d been dying to get to Osteria Mozza, the sister brainchild of Nancy Silverton, Mario Batali and Joseph Bastianich. Already a huge fan of Silverton’s as I grew up on the luscious La Brea Bakery bread and an even bigger fan of Mario Batali’s, how did it take me so long to get here?!?!

It was the meal before this year’s Yom Kippur fast, and as foodies, I had to take my parents to a hot spot for this last meal. When we walked in, I felt as if I was walking into a Restoration Hardware catalogue spread. The dark wood ensconced the restaurant and a warmth exuded from the marble bar to the perfectly placed chairs. I immediately fell in love.

When the sommelier, who helped us pick out an incredible bottle of red, brought the wine glasses out, I noticed there was a few drops of wine at the bottom. What?!?! Did Mozza just give me a wine glass with leftover wine in it? Oh, such the novice I would immediately become. This in fact was no leftover wine, at Mozza, they season the wine glasses before serving the wine. This is to remove anything that may have tainted the glass during/after the washing and polishing process so as to not disturb the taste of the wine! Impressive.

Each dish that was paraded out looked like a work of art. I stopped for a moment to take it all in before devouring.

We started out with Butter Lettuces with hazelnuts, bacon, gorgonzola dolce & egg.

Grilled Octopus with potatoes, celery & lemon.

Red Endive, Fennel & Parmigiano Reggiano with anchovy date dressing.

Pan Roasted Pork Loin, fagioli alla Castelluciana. Could this be any more beautiful?!?!

Sweetbreads Picatta with artichokes.

Linguine with clams, pancetta & spicy Fresno chiles.

Every bite was succulent. No detail was left unturned. The experience was perfect.

Osteria Mozza. Los Angeles, CA.

Truly Obsessed With True Food Kitchen

Since June, I’ve been exploring the path to wellness. It's not that I am not well, it's just that I've started to think past my plate to where my food comes from and how it affects me, and what I can do to optimize my body so I'm operating at 100%. I’ve been seeing a holistic doctor, watching documentaries, reading books/websites/research and exploring a more health-driven lifestyle (for the most part). This desire came as an unexpected shift and has been quite an adventure so far! I'm not on a mission to lose weight (although it's happening as a side affect - yes!), I'm on a mission to be healthy, stave off disease and feel good!

At first, I thought my food-obsessed self would have a difficult time selecting healthier food options, but to be honest, something inside me clicked and it’s been much easier than I thought. The changes I’ve made have started to kick in, and my body feels amazing. It’s almost like a high. And I can’t get enough. And it’s making it easier to continue because I don’t want to lose this feeling!

I’m not going to ever stop being a foodie and I’ll never go vegetarian. I’m not going to go out to eat less and I’m not going to just eat salads. But, I am going to make modifications to what I eat.

This week I joined some friends for dinner at True Food Kitchen in the Santa Monica Place. How have I not heard of this place? This is my new mecca. Everything I’ve been wanting in a restaurant.

True Food Kitchen is all about using simple, fresh, sustainable and local ingredients. Their menu is centered on the principals of Dr. Andrew Weil’s Anti-Inflammatory Diet & Food Pyramid. According to Dr. Weil, "following an anti-inflammatory diet can help counteract the chronic inflammation that is a root cause of many serious diseases, including those that become more frequent as people age.”

The best part? The meals STILL had intense flavors!!! I know I balk when I hear “healthy,” thinking food with lack taste, but that’s not the case. The meals tasted fresh, were full of flavor, elegantly plated and filling!

We started out with Edamame Dumplings with daikon radish and white truffle oil. Wow.

We also ordered the herb hummus with pita bread, onion, tomato and feta.

I ordered the Panang Curry with brown rice, potato, broccoli, ginger, carrot, mushroom, coconut broth and topped with shrimp. Five years ago I tasted an incredible yellow curry at a small Indian resto in Torrance. Since then I've been searching for this same flavor - my ideal curry. I finally found it... at True Food Kitchen!

Andy's Favorite "TLT" with tempeh, lettuce, tomato, avocado, mayo and whole grain bread.

I wish I could eat at True Food Kitchen every day!

True Food Kitchen. Santa Monica, CA.