The day after Halloween we needed some replenishment from the night before so we headed out mid afternoon to The Habit Burger Grill in Encino. At the Habit you can always count on quality food, fresh ingredients and reasonable pricing.

The Habit has many locations around California including Santa Barbara, Ventura County, Los Angeles County and Sacramento. I first discovered the Habbit several years back in Downtown Santa Barbara with Marissa. From my first bite I was hooked. The fries are always hot and crispy and the burgers are fresh and full of robust flavor.

I ordered the Charburger complete with lettuce, tomato, carmelized Onion, avocado and cheese. I went ahead and made it a combo complete with fries and a drink since we were planning on sharing. We also shared the Santa Barbara Cobb Salad. The combination of textures and tastes made it an atypical burger dining experience.

The portions were just right and the food was filling, but not overly heavy. I was also fortuntate to try a bite of the Veggiburger that our friend Leigh-Anne had ordered. I don’t eat Vegetarian too often but I would definately order this menu item if I wanted something on the lighter side. It is furnished with a Gardenburger patty, crisp lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onions, sprouts and honey Dijon on a toasted wheat bun.

Check the Habit website for a location near you as you may discover that this treasure lies in your backyard.

http://www.habitburger.com/

No Comments | In: Fab foodie on the run | tags: Burgers in Los Angeles, The Habit, The Habit Burger Grill. | #

This past Saturday I headed town to Malibu with a group of friends to spend the day at the beach.  Once we arrived at Sunset and PCH the coastal air was in full effect and I heard the voice of my good friend Joe from the back seat proclaim “I feel like fried shrimp.”  I told him not to worry and that I had the perfect place in mind.

20 minutes later we arrived at Malibu Seafood on PCH (between Malibu Canyon Rd & Kanan Road (North and West of Pepperdine).

It was around 2:30 when we entered the parking lot and a line was already forming.  It seemed like everyone had the same idea and craving for fresh made to order seafood.  All of the patios were packed with people and that is always a good sign of what is in store.  I had been here many times before so I decided to get a sampler of all that Malibu Fish & Seafood had to offer.  I ordered the Fish and Chips (3 pieces), Fried Shrimp (side order-3 pieces), and Fried Scallops (side order-5 pieces). Since there was a group of us we all decided to get more to add to the arrangement of seafood delicacies and we would end up sharing a bit of everything.  My friends each ordered the homemade Clam Chowder and it seemed like the Shrimp and Chip basket was the most popular all around.

The Shrimp were breaded perfectly and butter flied to perfection.  They had a nice golden texture and a slight crunch.  Fries were equally as good (Crispy and firm to the bite); the same story was the same for the scallops and the Fish.

Blending all of these tastes and textures made our palettes and our bellies sigh with satisfaction.

We all agreed that we would venture back when the craving for reasonably priced amazing seafood returns.

Malibu Fish & Seafood Inc.
www.malibuseafood.com

25653 Pacific Coast Hwy
Malibu, CA 90265
(310) 456-3430

No Comments | In: Fab foodie on the run, Guest Foodie | tags: Fish and Chips in Malibu, Fried Shrimp in Malibu, Malibu Seafood, Seafood in Malibu. | #

We started out this foodie adventure out unexpectedly.  We were planning to go to La Cienega’s Restaurant row for some pizza and beer at Stone Fire Pizza Company but when we arrived the doors were closed for a private party.  We were slightly disappointed but we regrouped and headed down La Cienega to the Stinking Rose.  The mission quickly turned from Pizza to Garlic.  It had been sometime since we dined here and we had no problem getting in on a Thursday night.

Our server Stephen L. was amazing and provided us with tremendous insight to the dishes and impeccable service.  Everything that we ordered came out lightning fast and our palettes and our stomach thank him. We started out with a pitcher of Anchor Steam beer as a perfect compliment to the garlic.  The bitter hoppy taste provided a wonderful contrast.  The three of us opted to order everything family style so we could mix as many Garlic flavors as we could.  We started with an order of Bagna Calda (Garlic Soaking in a hot tub).  This selection is served in an iron skillet tableside and is paired with house baked Focaccia bread.  We made little garlic sandwiches and also integrated the house garlic pesto mixture with the roasted garlic cloves to create an extreme garlic flavor.  Next we ordered the large Sizzling Iron Skillet of Roasted Mussels.  This was truly a unique preparation and I was glad that we decided on this selection.  The platter was enough for 3 and we were able to add the tasty mussels to our garlic sandwiches.  The garlic, mussels and butter were simply amazing.  I shared the Louisiana Shrimp in Garlic tomato broth with Marissa and the broth provided a mild garlic flavor that was soothing.  Our friend Brian ordered the Gnocchetti with Garlic Gorgonzola, asparagus and toasted pine nuts and he summed up the dish as “Creamy bodacious”.  I was able to sample a few bites and I agree.  Despite the robustness of the dishes we still had room for desert.  We decided to take our deserts to go and the staff served both the Chocolate Cake and Rum Cake in to go containers along with vanilla bean ice cream.  We all left extremely satisfied and we will definitely go back once we sweat out the Garlic from our systems.  If you need a garlic and/or seafood fix this is the place.  You will surely keep the vampires away.

The Stinking Rose
55 North La Cienega Blvd.
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
310-652-7673

mussels

No Comments | In: Fab foodie on the run | tags: Bagna Calda, Beer, Garlic, iron skillet, La Cienega, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Garlic Restaurant, Pizza, Restaurant Row, Seafood. | #

Town and Country
Café*Bakery

After spending most of the morning wandering Sunset Junction in Silver Lake we worked up quite an appetite.  We were looking for a pet friendly establishment where we could get some healthy local California bistro cuisine that wouldn’t break the bank.  That’s when we stumbled upon the Town and Country, café.  We were greeted by the friendly staff and a small town vibe.  There was plenty of outdoor seating and the menu provided extensive variety ranging from gourmet breakfast and lunch selections to classic comfort foods like the infamous Sloppy Joe and Mac & Cheese.  I could not decide between Sandwich or Salad so I opted for the Muffuletta and side salad (Town and Country Salad) that consisted of mixed baby greens, pecans, grapes and bleu cheese crumbles tossed in homemade zesty balsamic vinaigrette.  The Muffuletta was hearty and not overpowered by the baked baguette.  It is a great California twist on the traditional New Orleans version.  My dining partner had the grilled chicken sandwich and she was not disappointed.  The simple yet tasty sandwich consisted of Anna’s secret special marinated chicken breast with goat cheese spread, balsamic wine, caramelized onions and arugula and she opted for it prepared on whole wheat toast.  We debated splitting the sandwiches but we both decided to keep the tasty goodness to ourselves.  I will definitely be coming back and will be telling everyone I know about how great the Eastside treasure is and I promise that I will come back to try some of the homemade desert treats that keep the patrons coming back.

Town and Country, café and bakery is Located at
3823 Sunset Boulevard
Silverlake, California 90026
323.667.3331 phone
323.667.3332 fax

1 Comment | In: Fab foodie on the run | tags: CA, cafe, Cafe and Bakery, grub, Los Angeles Dining, organic, Silverlake, Town and Country, Vivalafoodies.com, yelp.com, yum. | #

We experienced the 3rd Corner for dinner over the Labor Day holiday while we were visiting family in Mission Beach, (San Diego). After a short car trip we arrived to this Ocean Beach treasure. The 3rd Corner is 1 part wine shop and 1 part Bistro where the customer can choose from a selection of 1,000 bottles of wine to pair with their meal. A friendly staff with a wine vocabulary as vast as a wine country native will find you the perfect bottle of wine to pair with your meal and palette. A romantic and quiet atmosphere makes this a perfect place to bring your honey. We sampled the following appetizers for the table and we all went silent when they arrived: Baked Humboldt fog goat cheese with wild mushrooms & toasted brioche & Crab Cakes with aioli (evening special). The cheese course was a great alternative to traditional baked Brie and was a light dish that paired quite well with the homemade Crab Cakes. Of the several seafood selections on the menu we all opted for the Baked Mahi with Panko breadcrumbs served with jalapeño-lime aioli. This lite dish was accompanied by a medley of sautéed baby yellow and green zucchini squash and garlic-mashed potatoes. Marissa and I decided to split the Mahi and try the mussels steamed in white wine, fresh garlic, parsley and butter. The server also recommended a fresh homemade baguette for dipping to soak up the aromatic broth from the mussels. We were glad that we took her advice. Since we opted for lighter fare we all decided to partake in one of the unique desert offerings. After a quick debate we decided to share the Goat Cheese Napoleon. It was presented beautifully with fresh berries and stacked tall in the center of the plate. We all dove into it and left the restaurant satisfied all agreed that we would come back the next time we come back to visit San Diego. If you consider yourself a foodie, you will not be disappointed.

http://www.the3rdcorner.com/

Wine Shop Open from 10 AM to 1:30 AM except Mondays

Kitchen Open from 11:30 AM to 1:00 AM except Mondays

2265 Bacon St
San Diego
CA 92107
(619) 223-2700

1 Comment | In: Fab foodie on the run, Traveling Foodie | tags: Food and Drink, Gourmet Food, San Diego Wine Bar and Bistro, The 3rd Corner. | #