I love a cute coffee shop, but there aren’t really any in my neighborhood within walking distance. Until now, that is! 1802 Roasters in Cypress Park has been roasting their own beans just down the street from me for a while, but previously had only been available for purchase at farmers markets around LA. They’ve been working to open a brick and mortar spot, even hosting weekend pop ups in their parking lot while construction on the cafe was still underway. The beautiful space is finally ready, thank heavens, and although they’re still only open on weekends (for now!), stopping by for a coffee has quickly become one of my favorite weekend morning activities. 1802 Roasters sources some delicious beans- from Guatemala to Peru to Costa Rica, and roasts them fresh on-site. I highly recommend picking up a bag to take home so you can get your fix during the week as well. My standard order of an Americano with steamed oat milk always hits the spot, and the pastries, sourced from Frog’s Bakery and Farmshop, are fresh and delicious as well. I’m partial to the pistachio morning bun, vegan almond croissant, and pumpkin ginger muffin! Yum! Definitely stop by next time you’re looking for a top notch coffee on the east side.
wax paper co.
I always say it’s hard to beat fresh, homemade bread. But throw some sandwich fixins between two slices of said delicious bread, and you’ve got yourself a pretty dang satisfying, yet simple meal if I do say so myself! I discovered Wax Paper Co. soon after moving to our neighborhood, and boy am I glad that I did. This tiny spot right along the LA River churns out some mean sammies, and the Bub & Grandma’s bread they use only helps take them to another level of deliciousness. There’s something for everyone here (although less so for my gluten sensitive friends…)- from a unique take on a banh mi with roasted, shredded pork, miso aioli & pickled carrot & daikon, to a scrumptious vegan option with shaved & marinated seasonal veggies & a pecan pesto, I’m sure you’ll find something up your alley. My personal fave is a roasted turkey on focaccia with jalapeño cilantro radish slaw & hominy. The bread is so perfectly chewy and fluffy- yum! I can’t forget to mention one of the best parts about Wax Paper Co. - the names of their sandwiches! Each one is named after an NPR personality, from Ira Glass to Larry Mantle to Terry Gross! Love the creativity there ;) And just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, they recently started serving classic, old fashioned soft serve ice cream as well. All the more reason to return soon. But just a heads up, you better go early, because they sell out almost daily. Consider yourself warned!
restaurante tierra caliente
There’s not much better than a consistently good neighborhood joint. You know the place. The one you can pop in anytime, and while you aren’t expecting to be blown away by anything super out of the box, you can pretty much guarantee a delicious, satisfying meal. In our old hood in Brooklyn, that was Cafe Mogador, and we still make it a point to go back anytime we are in town. Our new neighborhood of Mount Washington has less going on food-wise, but just down the hill in Cypress Park, you’ll find a ton of tasty, authentic Mexican food. Restaurante Tierra Caliente is one place we keep returning, and what’s better is that we can walk there! A bit of Brooklyn in LA ;) This tiny spot has a chalkboard menu up on the wall, and only a few small tables. We like to sit outside amongst the hustle and bustle of the neighborhood, and enjoy our tacos al fresco! Our fave time of day to come eat at Tierra Caliente is in the early mornings before they get busy, as they make a killer breakfast! My huevos a la Mexicana never disappoints, and those homemade tortillas are super fresh and hot off the press! My husband is a fan of the chilaquiles and smothered burritos (among manyyyy other things), but I think next up I need to try the tamales and pozole verde now that the weather is cooling off! So grab yourself a horchata con cafe, why don’t ya, and dig in!
republic of booza
I'm all about a new ice cream shop opening in my neighborhood, especially in the summertime! I'd been excited to try Republic of Booza ever since I first saw the signage go up a block from my apartment (dangerously close??) in Brooklyn. While you may assume Republic of Booza serves good 'ol classic ice cream, the decadent, frozen treat here is technically called booza! What the heck is booza? I had the same question. The 'original' ice cream, known for its elastic texture and resistance to melting, was developed about 500 years ago in the eastern pocket of the Mediterranean, and is super common in Lebanon and Turkey. This denser, slightly chewier cousin to ice cream gets its texture thanks to two key ingredients: sahlab, or ground orchid root, and mastic, a resin found in the bark of a tree exclusive to the Greek isles. The result is a truly creamy, flavor-packed dessert, with zero air pockets to be found. The owners like to think of it as "gelato on steroids", and I couldn't agree more. Republic of Booza offers traditional Middle Eastern flavors, like qashta (candied cream) and tahini mint chip, as well as American classics likes salted oreo and chocolate, and even some globally inspired takes like horchata de chufa and red miso! I highly recommend stopping by the Williamsburg store, and trying it out for yourself. Just look how pumped my husband is in the above photo- like a kid in a candy store ;) You may even get lucky enough to watch the spectacle of the booza being made, which involves the confectioner crushing the booza with a three foot wooden pestle and then stretching it with his or her hands! You don't see that at many other ice cream parlors!
sauvage
I'd been looking forward to trying Sauvage ever since it opened across from McCarren Park and the ever-popular Five Leaves. Other restaurants have had trouble surviving in this location, but this place just seemed different. Months passed without stopping by, then my husband and I got word that his mentor and chef Damon Wise had taken over the kitchen, which instantly moved it to the top of our list! We dined with a good friend and enjoyed the fresh spring menu, which was full of seasonal favorites like morel mushrooms, strawberries, ramps, and asparagus! Each and every dish was well-balanced and full of flavor, it would be hard to pick a favorite. I loved the chef's unique take on vegetables, from the multicolor carrots with cloumage & ramps, to the roasted cauliflower with broccoli pesto & spicy pistachios, I could easily make a meal of all the appetizers! My black bass entreé just melted into its creamy but light buttermilk broth, and the morel mushrooms added a lovely earthy flavor. You know I love dessert (and usually order multiple), but after such a big meal something light and refreshing was all we could handle, so the yogurt granita was just perfect! Scroll through the slideshow to check out the rest of our ridiculously delicious meal! And full disclosure- since we dined at Sauvage, Chef Damon has left the restaurant and returned to the South, where he's originally from. But it's still his menu and the cooks continue to execute it with ease!
sunday in brooklyn
I'm all about a neighborhood spot that offers both a feel-good, casual atmosphere as well as fresh and delicious food. Sunday in Brooklyn strives to do just that with a welcoming restaurant, market and coffee counter in South Williamsburg. The owners have taken their favorite day- Sunday!- a day of comfort, adventures, and family, and made it the mission of the restaurant. I was a big fan of Isa, the previous restaurant in this location, so SIB had big shoes to fill in my book. My husband and I stopped in for brunch recently, and are already looking forward to a return trip soon. We started with cappuccinos and a warm, freshly baked pecan sticky bun, which pulled apart in perfect ooey, gooey layers. Since it was Sunday, after all, we indulged in a bloody Mary and spiked hot cider, which were perfectly spicy and sweet. It was hard to decide on entrées as we were tempted by several dishes- the malted pancakes, biscuits & gravy, plus a variety of sweet and savory sandwiches all sounded delicious. We decided on the grain bowl and patty melt, which did not disappoint. And how pretty are the marbled ceramic plates!? Scroll through the photos to see more descriptions of each item. Even better, at SIB it's Sunday every day, so brunch is served seven days a week! Pop into the cute market shop for some ready-made pastries and pantry items, or grab a coffee to-go.
I've also had the opportunity to enjoy dinner at Sunday in Brooklyn, and the meal was fantastic (see below!). I love that they've utilized the upstairs dining area- a space that Isa reserved for private events- because it has such a lush and cozy feel to it that makes it seem like home. Plus the rooftop garden and sidewalk café are open in the warmer months, which is clutch for any NYC restaurant! The spring menu was so fresh, vibrant, and über colorful- the chef knows how to put the season's bounty to good use in the tastiest ways imaginable. Some dishes, like the radishes with koji butter and the beets with nuts & seeds, were truly works of art and just begging to have their photo taken (I was more than happy to oblige, of course). The roasted cabbage with fermented black trumpet mushrooms had such a unique and interesting flavor profile that kept us coming back for more. I'm not even a fried chicken person (I know- who am I?), but the housemade togarashi blend coating the drumsticks really took these babies to the next level- totally addicting! If you can believe it, I didn't get a good photo of our desserts. I'm actually surprised this doesn't happen more often considering how little discipline I have around sweets. But I can assure you that both the goat ice cream with date molasses & bitter chocolate AND the warm devil's food cake with peanut butter ice cream & cocoa nib praline are to die for! I'm already looking forward to returning soon for an afternoon cocktail in the rooftop garden!
