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!

coolhaus

I love funky sweets, so I was super pumped to try Coolhaus Ice Cream from the moment I discovered them on social media. They started as an ice cream truck, but have gotten so popular that they now have scoop shops in LA and Dallas, as well as several mobile trucks in LA, NYC, and Dallas ! The idea is simple, but delicious: build your own ice cream sandwich from a scrumptious list of freshly baked cookies and housemade ice creams. Mix and match if you want, and there are even vegan and gluten free options available as well! Ice creams come in tasty and unique flavors like campfire s'mores, balsamic fig & mascarpone, and fried chicken & waffles, while the cookie options range from classic double chocolate to peanut butter Captain Crunch to confetti whoopie pie! The sandwiches are named after architects and architectural movements that inspired the design-minded owners (hence the "cool houses" created from ice cream & cookies). Plus, they're served in an edible wrapper, so don't be afraid to get messy as you dig in! I guess you could say I'm a big fan, as I've visited the truck in both NYC and Texas- I guess now I just need to find them in LA :) But good news for me and everyone else: Coolhaus is now sold in many retail stores, as well as available for purchase online! Trust me on this one, get you some Coolhaus ice cream, stat!

messina gelato

 
 

Long before my husband and I ever stepped foot in Australia for our recent vacation, I started to research places to eat. Food is such a big part of our lives, and eating at new exciting places is one of the best parts of vacation in my humble opinion! Messina Gelato came up on several lists I'd read as a must-visit place for ice cream! Their made-from-scratch, unique flavors created with high-quality, natural ingredients yield some seriously creamy and delicious gelato. Messina has 35 signature flavors, plus 5 specials per week, so there's always something new and unique to try! Many of their flavors contain lots of tasty mix-ins, which are the key to my heart when it comes to ice cream. It was super difficult to narrow it down, but after much deliberation (and several taste tests!), I finally decided on pandan & coconut (which was dairy-free) and monoffee pie, one of the daily specials- caramel gelato with banana jam, whipped cream & pie crust! My husband went his usual chocolate route, but they had so many tempting chocolate offerings, his cup was anything but boring. Think milk chocolate gelato with chocolate peanut fudge, peanut butter gelato with chocolate brownies & dulce de leche jam, and chocolate hazelnut tiramisu gelato with mocha soaked biscuits! I could go on and on about all the over-the-top flavors, but just trust me and definitely stop by if you're ever in Sydney or Melbourne. I only wish we had more time to try them all! 

whip it good

 
 

Everyone knows I'm a sugar addict, and while I don't really restrict my sweet tooth (for the most part), I do love finding slightly healthier ways to indulge it from time to time. Let's be real, endless desserts full of processed sugar, flour, and butter do not make you feel great, and are not great for your waistline. I was super pumped to find this gem of a place while vacationing in Sydney, Australia. Whip It Good is a vegan ice cream bar in the heart of Bondi Beach, serving some seriously tasty coconut-based soft serve. Their ice cream and toppings are free of gluten, grains, lactose, and dairy, and most are kosher as well! I know some of you may be thinking- So, what does that leave? How could it still taste creamy and delicious? Trust me when I say both the standard Plain Jane coconut soft serve as well as the seasonally-rotating option are worth your time (and calories)! I fell in love with the turmeric soft serve- the deeply spiced and earthy flavor may not be for everyone, but it was definitely right up my alley. Both my husband and I went for the Banoffee Ya Face sundaes, complete with soft serve (I went turmeric base, while he went with the traditional coconut), toasted banana bread, and caramelized bananas. Oh. My. Gosh. It was literally heaven in a bowl, and I wish I could eat it again right now! Some of their other offerings were just as tempting- think chocolate donuts, caramel sauce, and toasted nuts! Yum! Here's hoping that Whip It Good opens a location stateside soon!

magpies soft serve

 

I love soft serve. I love ice cream too, but I enjoy it even more once it's gotten a bit softer and all melty. I joke that my husband and I share a pint together perfectly, as he loves the cold, hard stuff and eats straight down the middle, while I prefer the edges of the pint that start to melt right off the bat! Magpies Softserve is what many would call "chef-driven" soft serve. It provides the same nostalgic feel of a dip from Dairy Queen, but with super creative and freshly made flavors and toppings. Everything is made in-house in the Silver Lake dessert shop, and you can totally taste the difference in quality. They even offer vegan, non-dairy options, which are equally as satisfying as their dairy counterparts. I went with a swirl of corn almond and Mexican hot chocolate soft serve, topped with almond brittle and chocolate covered honeycomb! Talk about unique, and oh so delicious! Other flavor options include malted milk chocolate, cookie butter (my heaven!), pumpkin, and coffee, and the topping options are just as tempting: graham cracker streusel, butterscotch Rice Krispies, toasted maple coconut chips, and vegan fudge sauce! I only wish they'd open a location in New York! Until then, Magpies remains at the top of my must-visit list when in Los Angeles.

 

oddfellows ice cream co.

Oddfellows Ice Cream Co. is a local Brooklyn spot from former wd50 pastry chef Sam Mason that makes some seriously tasty ice cream. I love the old-school ice cream parlor feel, but they mix things up with modern and innovative offerings. Oddfellows pasteurizes their own ice cream base, using locally-sourced, hormone-free dairy, right in their Brooklyn kitchen. This attention to detail allows them to produce some of the highest quality and freshest ice cream around. Their scrumptious flavors range from reinvented classics, like PB&J and S'mores, to totally creative and unconventional, like Miso Cherry and Chorizo Caramel Swirl. Sample several flavors before you decide, and then come back again soon to try out even more. Their menu changes seasonally, and always includes some somewhat crazy-sounding flavors! While I'm typically not one to choose sorbet, Ants on a Log (celery sorbet with peanut butter & raisins) is one of my all-time favorites! Banana Puddin' and Cornbread (can you tell I'm Southern?) are also ridiculously good, with such a great depth of flavor. I also just noticed a new flavor on their menu- Salted Coconut Sticky Rice- and cannot wait to try it out soon. If you post a picture of your treat, don't forget to use their signature hashtag: #errbodylovesicecream!