Who doesn’t love a good sandwich? I’ve been craving them like woah lately, so it seemed like the perfect time to write about Jeff’s Table. This unassuming spot churns out delicious sammies in a repurposed liquor store in the Highland Park neighborhood of LA. It’s essentially a modern micro deli- think elevated deli sandwiches with fun and unique twists on classics. On this particular occasion I went for a seasonal cauliflower sandwich for myself, and I got a banh mi for the hubby, which is always a fave of his. This vegetarian sandwich included spice-roasted cauliflower and charred scallion with a housemade hoisin glaze, fermented jalapeño ginger puree with preserved lemon, fresh goat cheese, shaved fennel, and wild arugula on a fresh sammie roll. Plus, you can make it vegan by subbing goat cheese for avocado if that’s your jam. The banh mi was filled with house-smoked pork shoulder ham, pickled carrots and daikon, cucumbers, herbs, shaved jalapeño, aioli, and the star of the show- a house fermented chili garlic hot sauce! Both were super flavorful and delish. The menu changes seasonally, so make sure to stop in or look online to check out the latest offerings. I can’t wait to go back soon- yum!
all time
For a tasty neighborhood joint with excellent coffee and a beautiful patio, it’s hard to beat All Time. This all day café in Los Feliz serves consistently fresh and tasty food, which keeps me coming back for more and more. The outdoor dining situation and cute handwritten menus don’t hurt either! Menus change with the seasons, and I love that they source from local farms- many of which are named on the menu. You’ll always find a version of the “Good Ass Salad” at All Time, a huge bowl of greens and seasonal produce that’s sure to please any veg-head. They also churn out some nice, al dente pasta for those in the mood. Plus their meat and fish dishes, like a 40 day dry-aged rib eye or a whole branzino, are flavorful and cooked to perfection. Be sure to scroll through the slideshow above to get more details on each dish from my recent trip to All Time. Those Japanese smashed sweet potatoes with romesco were just heaven! I’m definitely looking forward to returning for breakfast- the farmer’s market hash with poached eggs and the housemade seedy adventure bread are calling my name! The team recently just opened a takeout dinner spot, Part Time (love the name!), which I can totally see us hitting up in the near future as well. All Time-like eats in the comfort of my own home? Yes please! Not to mention, now’s the perfect time to support your fave local restaurants to ensure they’ll still be around in post-pandemic times.
trilogy sanctuary
On a recent day trip down to San Diego with the fam, we got to spend time with one of my best friends and eat some tasty vegan food in the process. I’d heard great things about Trilogy Sanctuary, a cute vegan cafe and yoga studio in La Jolla, so was pumped to check it out. We sat outside on the rooftop deck, overlooking Trilogy’s setup for Aerial Yoga (which looks both super intimidating yet relaxing at the same time), and enjoyed fresh, healthy, yet satisfying meal. The menu is huge- I already want/need to go back to try out more things- but once I finally narrowed it down, I decided on the raw coconut wrap filled with tasty things like roasted butternut squash, avocado and tahini drizzles, along with a green smoothie full of apple, avocado, cucumber parsley, fennel, ginger, and lime! Zingy and delicious! My hubby, an avid meat-eater, ordered the Beet Burger with fries, and chowed down. I think he just wishes it were bigger, as per usual… My bestie went the cauliflower route, and I have to say her buffalo cauliflower wings and cauliflower crust pizza were super impressive and flavorful as well! I definitely need to come back soon for a dessert sampling: the raw carrot cake, jumbo peanut butter cup, and warm fudgy brownie with date caramel are all calling my name! And who knows, maybe I’ll even try Aerial Yoga?!
lodge bread co.
I'll just come right out and say it- I'm obsessed with Lodge Bread Company. This bakery and café in west LA focuses on whole grain sourdough bread baking, freshly milled flours, and wood-fired pizzas, and truly impresses in all ways, if you ask me. Every day, Lodge Bread churns out some seriously delish and hearty bread, unique pastries, and both Neapolitan & pan pizzas, not to mention some tasty wood-fired veggie dishes as well. It's truly everything I want in a meal- carbs and sweets! I'd been eyeing the (gigantic!) sourdough cinnamon roll ever since I first saw it on Instagram, and finally indulged on my most recent visit. It's not overly sweet, thanks to a lighter, whipped frosting and that hearty whole grain sourdough, but utterly delicious with the perfect amount of cinnamon flavor! Next on my must-try list is the babka!
I've now gotten to try a good variety of things from the menu, and have yet to be disappointed. Upon first entering the bakery, after checking out the bakers handling the dough with such care , you'll find the beautiful array of pastries baked fresh that day. I highly recommend trying a couple (or five). Other than the cinnamon roll, the pine nut blondie and the carrot olive oil cake are to die for! The wood-fired cauliflower with pickled raisins & chermoula is just bursting with flavor, as are the roasted beets with chicories, cara cara oranges, labne & pepitas. You can't come to Lodge without ordering pizza. Trust me, just do it. My pan pizza was thick and chewy, almost like a slightly crusty sourdough focaccia, piled high with roasted veggies. Our sweet pea pie was the perfect seasonal treat, topped with snap peas, pea tendrils, green garlic & ricotta! I'm now drooling again just thinking about this meal, so looks like a return trip is in my very near future!
nomad
Food always plays a big role in any vacation we take- I might even go as far to say we plan trips around eating (perks of being a #chefswife)! On our recent travels to Portugal and Morocco, I have to admit I was most looking forward to the food in Marrakech! After doing some research on local spots in the Medina, I knew I definitely wanted to visit Nomad. The restaurant serves simple, modern Moroccan cuisine with a focus on fresh, local produce. I loved their updated take on traditional dishes, as well as global dishes infused with a Moroccan twist. There's truly something for everyone here, with plenty of options for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike!
Nomad opened a few years ago in an old carpet store just off the famed place de épices, and has a lovely rooftop terrace overlooking the square. You can even see the beautiful Atlas Mountain range during certain times of the year! My husband and I sat outside for lunch and enjoyed a truly fresh and flavorful meal- what a wonderful start to our trip it was! The lamb tagine with prunes and spices and the Moroccan affogato (I got mine with sweet pumpkin & saffron ice cream!) were highlights for me, but everything we ate really impressed us to be honest. Click through the photos for more details of each tasty dish. It was hard not to come back to Nomad for all our meals after this one, but we knew we wanted to see more of what Marrakech had to offer. I will definitely be back on my next trip, as I still think fondly of our perfect al fresco lunch!
abcV
The latest restaurant in the abc line up from Jean Georges is abcV, a plant-based eatery with a focus on sustainable and organic ingredients. Everything on the menu is vegetarian, and most of it is vegan, or can easily be made so. I got the chance to dine at abcV with my vegan bestie, and we ordered a bunch of dishes to share so as to try as much as possible! Highlights for me included the pine nut and lemon dip with harissa and dried apricots- such a unique and flavorful take on hummus! The stone ground nut and seed butter layered underneath roasted carrots created the perfect sweet and savory dish, and its richness was cut nicely by chilies and lime. As I'm obsessed with all things tahini, it was no surprise I loved the roasted cauliflower drizzled in turmeric tahini and topped with crunchy pistachios! Yum!
Plenty of other dishes tempted our tastebuds as well, however, we were getting full! If you can believe it, we didn't even have room for dessert, so reluctantly skipped this part of the meal. I know- who even am I? Next time for sure though, as I recall absolutely loving the salted caramel ice cream sundae with candied peanuts and popcorn from abc kitchen! I'm also looking forward to returning for brunch soon, as the creative brunch bowls and dosas sound super delish. Be sure to click through the photos to see descriptions of each dish, and definitely make a reservation at abcV stat!
