forage

Forage is a great spot to pick up some healthy, yet tasty ready-made food in the Silver Lake neighborhood of LA. I pop in whenever I'm nearby, whether it's for a market plate with various seasonal salads and a protein, or a house-baked sweet treat! Everything is prepared simply and consistently, and it's hard to go wrong with any of the vibrant, freshly made offerings. My husband and I stopped in for lunch, and he chose the organic free range roasted chicken with the Moroccan couscous (with beets, pickled red cabbage, almonds, golden raisins & garlic ginger dressing) and kale & arugula salad (with feta, breadcrumbs, shallots & lemon garlic vinaigrette). I went for the plate of three sides: fennel citrus salad (with arugula, celery, orange, lemon & citrus vinaigrette), roasted winter squash (with dandelion, pepitas & brown butter vinaigrette), and kale & arugula salad, as well as a bowl of chickpea soup. Never one to pass on dessert, we decided to go all in with a slice of chocolate coconut cream cake and a Mexican hot chocolate cookie. Yum- such a satisfying meal!

PS- There's a great assortment of sweets offered every day! Just check out some of the delicious (and beautiful!) offerings from when I was there, below. Apple-cranberry crisp with Speculoos crumb, Meyer lemon-glazed olive oil cake, banana cake with chocolate chunks, Mexican hot chocolate cookie, banana cream pie tart, gluten-free brownie, chocolate peanut butter malt cake, Meyer lemon sugar cookie, chocolate coconut cream cake, chocolate chip cookie, and more!

two hands

Let's be real: Australians know how to live well. From their relaxed, beachside lifestyle to their fresh and innovate culinary scene, Aussies know where it's at. Since getting there is not exactly convenient for us New Yorkers, Two Hands is helping bring that vibe to us. I love their focus on healthy but tasty food, served in a community-focused restaurant that is welcoming for all. There's literally something for everyone, with offerings that will satisfy any and all types of eaters. Their small cafe on the Lower East Side is great for a quick coffee and light bite, but it's also nice sit down at their Tribeca restaurant for a more traditional meal. Two Hands is proof that when simple food is done right, not much else is needed! Other than maybe a perfect flat white, that is...

 

 

brassicas bowl

charred broccolini // brussels sprouts // kale // hummus // soft-boiled egg // avocado // pickled shallots // seeds

 

 

two hands beef burger

cheese // fried egg // pickled cucumber & beet relish // seeded bun // crispy potatoes // housemade ketchup

 

 

 

 

 

banana bread

espresso mascarpone // toasted buckwheat // honey

 

 

 

 

 

 

good morning salad

market vegetables // quinoa // pumpkin seeds // goji berries // dates // chickpeas // spinach // cumin yogurt // fried egg

 

 

green goddess salad

baby lettuces // green beans // avocado // radish // beet cured salmond // green goddess dressing

maman

 
FullSizeRender.jpg

For a a quick and easy, but healthy and flavorful meal, I love stopping by Maman. It's basically the bakery and cafe of my dreams, featuring high quality, locally-sourced ingredients with a always evolving and inspired menu. Pop in for coffee (how cute are their cups?!) and freshly baked breads and pastries, or take a seat and enjoy housemade quiches, seasonal salads, and hearty sandwiches. I'm a huge fan of their unique and flavorful baked goods, including the nutella babka loaf, spiced carrot cake, white chocolate blueberry & lavender loaf, chunky monkey brioche, and the signature 'famous' nutty chocolate chip cookie.

One of my favorite things ever is Maman's cookie dough ice cream sandwich! It uses two slabs of melt-in-your-mouth cookie dough instead of baked cookies, wrapped around tasty McConnell's ice cream. Heaven! I recently stopped in for their new brunch service at the Brooklyn location, and both the waffle-iron hashbrowns (with smoked salmon, avocado & egg) and the roasted cauliflower salad (with kale, dates & egg) were super flavorful and satisfying. I'm looking forward to trying a matcha white hot chocolate this winter!

maman4.jpg
 

sqirl

Whether you live in Los Angeles or not, you've most likely heard of Sqirl. What began as a preserves company five years ago is now one of the most popular breakfast and lunch spots in LA. Sqirl serves a market-driven menu, with reimagined classics as well as super creative specials, all in a tiny space in Silver Lake. My husband and I stopped by on a recent trip to LA, and there were so many intriguing things on the menu we wanted to try. We ended up ordering mostly breakfast, and began with perfect cappuccinos and the highly acclaimed (just browse through Instagram!) brioche toast: a thick slab of freshly baked bread, smothered i just-milled almond hazelnut butter and homemade olallieberry & aprium jam. Talk about a mouthful, and it was so satisfying and delicious. The smoked whitefish tartine was such a unique and complex use of flavors- with smoky eggplant and cilantro powder- I couldn't get enough! For a hearty vegetarian option, the chickpea flour "pancake" is a solid choice, and is perfectly balanced with the creamy labneh and fresh celery salad. Sqirl is also known for their baked goods, and while I surprisingly didn't try any this time, the Malva pudding cake, Sqirl power balls, and Valrhona & Fleur de Sel cookies looked particularly tempting. I look forward to getting a few next time I'm in town, as well as trying out the lunch menu!

meyer's bageri

 

Meyer's Bageri is a cute little Danish bakery in Williamsburg that turns out some truly delectable baked goods. Danish culinary entrepreneur Claus Meyer is behind it, along with new restaurant Agern and Great Northern Food Hall in Grand Central Terminal. Although the bakery started as just a pop-up, their popularity soon became clear, and Meyer's returned as a full-time brick and mortar a few months later. They offer several traditional Danish pastries like kanelsnurre (cinnamon swirl buns), spandauer (round puff pastries with fillings), and tebirkes (poppy seed danishes), and also bake hearty loaves of bread daily. Ølandbrød, a native speciality made from heirloom whole wheat flour which they will mill in house, is a definite must-try. 

I'm a huge cinnamon-lover, so my order always involves kanelsnurre. The morning buns, marbled with rye and topped with sunflower seeds, are chewy and delicious as well, and even better topped with avocado or hummus. On another trip I got to try the beet & cassis muffin and raspberry pop tart. These creative takes on classics blew me away- the muffin was slightly earthy and not too sweet, with a moist crumb and crunchy streusel topping, while the pop tart had a perfectly flaky crust. I'm excited to return soon to devour the new, seasonal danish: pumpkin spice spandauer with brown butter glaze and pepita brittle! Yum!

 

momofuku milk bar

 
 
 

I've been a fan of Momofuku Milk Bar for a long time now. Christina Tosi, the award winning & highly talented pastry chef, is the brains behind these super successful bakeries, and I love the playful spin she puts on traditional homestyle desserts. The stellar line up of baked goods never fails to impress, and I always leave with my sweet tooth satisfied. Milk Bar is probably most known for the cereal milk soft serve (it's even trademarked!), and for good reason. This unique take on a childhood favorite gives me all sorts of nostalgic feels. The sweet & salty soft serve with hints of an almost-finished bowl of cereal is addicting enough on its own, and then it's topped with a generous sprinkling of crunchy cornflakes! To die for! While you're there, be sure to check out the unique cookie flavors as well. I love corn cookie, the coco cookie (part of the Klossie's colleciton with Karlie Kloss!), and the cornflake-chocolate chip-marshmallow cookie best, but really you can't go wrong with any of them! Milk Bar bakeries are also a great place to pick up a whole cake or pie for any special event!