Los Angeles: Intelligentsia Coffee

When we hit the pavement on Abbot Kinney Blvd in Venice we came across Intelligentsia Coffee by chance. 

I was glad to find yet another coffee roasting house (thank you California) that took its coffee seriously and pumped out a tasty, fragrant brew. 

  

I was also glad to be proving wrong the misconception that there's bad coffee in America. Quite surprising really, this misconception, considering Americans are serious coffee drinkers. Throughout our trip in the USA I came to realise that its (coffee) is just different. Americans even have different coffee percolating apparatus that I am ashamed to say, I had never seen before until this trip. But then how many Americans can say they have the ability to make Greek coffee with just the right amount of crema? ...but I digress.

It was good to see a decent range of organic teas on offer as well. A hoorah to the past, a throwback to the good ol' days when America was under English rule. It seems one of the main reasons why coffee became so popular in the first place in the States was to stick it to the British once America became independent. They created their own coffee culture by relinquishing the culture enforced by the British during their rule.

This place was cool. The vibe was relaxed. The coffee was great. The crowd was varied and tech savvy, casually flicking through their smartphones while they lined up patiently. Hipster-ish even. Damn those head sock wearing hippies, they're everywhere and they find all the cool places!

What I didn't know then, was that Intelligentsia started out in Chicago, later opening up shop in Los Angeles and New York. Coast to coast domination.

If you're looking for an urban oasis with good coffee in Venice, check this place out, but be prepared to line up during peak times...which seems to be like all the time, at least the whole hour or so we were there.

Los Angeles: Pizzeria Mozza

According to some, Pizzeria Mozza has the best slice in LA. I didn't eat pizza anywhere else in Lalaland, so I don't have an opinion on this. I can only compare to pizza I've eaten elsewhere (Australia, San Francisco, Rome etc).

I'll be honest, when we hit up Mozza I wasn't too educated on things Mario Batali, Nancy Silverton or Joseph Bastianich, but they seemed to have a great reputation, especially if the line up to snag a seat in this place was anything to go by. I was prepared, our stopover in LA was only two nights so I wasn't going to risk it, I made a reservation ahead of time.

The pizza wasn't bad, just overcooked in my opinion and perhaps not the best combination of ingredients (they were competing for taste on this particular slice). What stood out for me were:

• the appetizers
• the dessert
• what seemed to be (and I'm probably wrong because I'm only assuming) a local West Hollywood crowd
• the ambience (its noisy so if you like a vibrant vibe, you'll dig it); and
• the Italian wine list.

And I mean it about the appetizers (especially the bone marrow) and dessert, they were hands down delectable, finger licking good. The two lovely elderly ladies sitting at the table next to us got more than they bargained for that night - they delighted in my constant groaning sounds and exclamations of "yum!" and "that tastes sooooo good!".

Bone marrow al forno - $12

 

Rub that delicious pickled garlic on the bread, then spread the marrow on. Yum!

Insalata mista - $8

Burrata crostone with Swiss chard,spring onion & Balsamico - $9

Finnochiona salame, mozzarella, tomato & Fresno chiles - $17

Banana gelato pie with hot fudge & candied hazelnuts - $12

As our trip through the states progressed, I came to realise how popular and how much influence Mario Batali has in the culinary sphere. I'm still not quite sure what it is about him? Is it his business mogulness - the fact he has opened numerous (successful?) restaurants throughout the states and abroad; the recent controversy surrounding his businesses; his influences on cuisine (whatever they are); his expertness on regional Italian cuisine; being an author and television personality; or the mere fact that he just manages to make so many people happy with his food? I think it's a combination of all these factors, and the fact that he is not a skinny man.

Never trust a skinny chef, they have to be sporting a pot belly to be trustworthy and likeable, nay, to be passionate about and to produce delicious food. Mario's shape, his roundness, his pudgy pink rosy cheeks and neck rolls remind me of a happy free range piglet roaming through beautiful green countryside, fattening up for slaughter and my imminent delight and enjoyment. By no means do I intend to be disrespectful or condescending. It's this picture of him I see that makes me think "this man enjoys his food, I want to enjoy it too, I want to eat what he eats".

I know you want to eat it too. Next time you're in Los Angeles, make sure to hit up Pizzeria Mozza, or if you're after a slightly more upmarket non-pizza version, head to Osteria Mozza conveniently located next door.

Oh, and I still don't know who Nancy Silverton or Joseph Bastianich are...

Los Angeles: Alcove Cafe & Bakery/Big Bar

Big is not always better. The coffee mugs are almost the size of my head - and I have a big head. Surely when it's such a big coffee it can't taste good? And it doesn't. Because its so huge, they have to make it really hot, so it burns my tongue on the first sip. Then it cools really quickly because of the massive mug and it's a puddle of bad tasting coffee / luke warm toilet water.

The breakfast is gigantic, with what looks like a whole pan of re-heated roast potatoes as a side to Chris' breakfast panino. The potatoes don't look appealing, I don't even attempt to try one.

I order the country breakfast: scrambled eggs, pancakes with fresh strawberries on top and a side of bacon. It was satisfactory. The eggs I could have scrambled a hundred times better with my eyes closed - they were a stiff mound of rubber. And the strawberries: not so fresh. At least not as fresh I've become accustomed to so far in the States.

Being also a bakery, they have a heap of baked goods on display, which I didn't try.

What I did like about this place were three things:
1. The massive outdoor courtyard with plenty of shade.
2. The area it's in (Los Feliz) as its a suburb I wanted to check out.
3. The people watching.

I guess that's probably the same reasons the Angelenos like this place too.

Next time you're in LA, steer clear of this place. There's way better places to have breakfast at.

Santa Barbara: Metropulos

Sunny, warm, arty, relaxing. We spent the day in Santa Barbara, quickly realising there's not much to do in this holiday destination except take in some sunshine by the beach and drink wine. Both things I thoroughly enjoy.

We walked around the main beach then through the side streets that had plenty of wine tasting and surf shops. We came across a stone mason who was working on a massive piece of granite outside his workshop and we stopped to chat to him. He recommended we have lunch around the corner at Metropulos, a Greek deli that serves sandwiches.

Metropulos is a small specialty goods store that also operates a cafe. Amongst the stacked shelves you'll find a multitude of goodies from all over the world. Although it's a relatively small-medium sized store, you could spend hours trolling through the goods.

We ordered a chicken sandwich, the Californian salad and a glass of local Grenache. The glass of wine was generous and only $4! Gotta get some more of that.

The sandwich was good but the highlight was definitely the Californian salad. It had greens, dried apricots, pistachios, goats cheese, oversize croutons and it was dressed with a honey vinaigrette. It was California summer on a plate, couldn't get enough of it!

What was even better were all the locals hanging out and eating at the cafe, discussing various topics including university education, IT business, art and painting (I couldn't help but eavesdrop). It was a cool neighbourhood spot for a cheap and tasty lunch before we hit the road towards Los Angeles.

California Dreaming

We picked up a red convertible Mustang and cruised around San Francisco for the afternoon, with the Golden Gate Bridge as our last stop before hitting the road, south down the California coast.

Our aim was to get to Carmel By The Sea by that night, which was approximately a two to two and a half hour drive. We arrived around eight in the evening, the car crawling through the quaint little town, until we found somewhere to eat. It was pretty quiet and not many places were open. We dined at an Italian and seafood inspired family restaurant. Food was average. The highlight was the gas fire pit we sat next to that kept us warm.

Since the front desks at all the inns in Carmel were closed, we headed to Monterey to spend the night.

After a good rest, the next day we got started at a reasonable time and drove all along the coast until we reached Santa Barbara that night.

The coast was breathtaking with many beautiful vista points to stop at and take in the Pacific Ocean. The photo opportunities were numerous but the sheer scale and feeling of being there in person is so much grander.

You really need to take your time, just when you think you'll gain some miles, you pull up around the corner to another vista point and you can't help but stop to take in the views.

We started by doing the famous 17-mile drive, then checked out Carmel beach and hit the road towards Santa Barbara.

There's a few pit stops long the way. Rocky Point Bridge has a restaurant nearby called Rocky Point Restaurant perched on the edge of a cliff with stunning views of the Pacific Ocean for your viewing pleasure. The decor is tacky, but food surprisingly decent with very generous portions. I had the burger with house seasoned fries, as well as a mimosa to pep me up for the rest of the trip.

I recommend packing a lunch or at least snacks, as you can easily stop along the way and picnic. Definitely pack water and if driving in a convertible, slip slop slap!

I really enjoyed Big Sur, in the thick of the national park forest. If i liked camping, then this would be a spot I'd want to do it at. There's a pit stop with a gas station and souvenir and coffee shop. We parked and walked past all that, to the southern most part of the stop and stepped into the Iron Maiden for a beer. They serve food so if you're looking for a feed, I's skip the cafe and hit up this pub instead. That's where we met a local and his wolf pet Tiana (she's 12 years old, friendly and absolutely beautiful). Big highlight as it was proof that people can have wolves as pets. Since I've been watching Game of Thrones, I've been trying to convince Chris to let me get a wolf! So this was all the proof I needed. Unfortunately we found out the guy that breeds and trains them passed away recently and that day was his funeral.

We continued on to San Simeon to check out Hearst Castle. There's a massive tourist centre at the valley, so people don't actually get direct access to the castle, instead they get ferried up and down the mountain by buses once they book in for a tour. We got there too late as the last tour departed for the day (at approx. 4:15pm) plus it was booked out anyway. So if you want to see the castle make sure to book online ahead of time. We weren't sure when we'd get there so we took the chance. Oh well, next time. We did see the small museum at the visitor centre which gives some interesting facts and history on the Hearst family and W.R. himself. Living the dream indeed.

Our last stop off before reaching Santa Barbara was Santa Maria. We had dinner at Dickie's Barbecue Pit. Santa Maria was not too appealing, slightly inland from the beach, its surrounded by large roads and farm land. We were starving, dinner proved tasty (for take away) and the Manuel carving out the meat was extremely passionate about BBQ. Their motto is "slow smoked, served fast".

We drove the last miles to Santa Barbara, glad to rest our weary heads when we got there, after such a big day of sight seeing and driving.