California Adventure Part 4: Bottega Louie

This is my last and final post about my trip to California... I know, I know. Four whole posts about this trip, but as you can see, it would have just been one reallllllllly long post! Naturally, I saved the best for last!

Bottega Louie: 700 S. Grand Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90017
The second our car pulled up to this store, it was love at first sight... Even before stepping through the doors, I was in love! My nose was pressed up against the window in awe of the tall, pastel macaron towers. As I finally stepped under the golden letters spelling LOUIE, I came face to face with a a whole counter of macarons. There was row after row of macarons in every color imaginable! I was so tempted to buy the biggest box of macarons they offered, but exerted some self-control and bought 13... (yes, 13 all for me!).

 aren't these just gorgeous??

The rest of the store is equally as beautiful, with shelves full of sweets in pastel packages. Even their homemade marshmallows are pastel-tinted! The detail they put into their brand was not overlooked by me. I was just as much in love with their packaging as I was with their products.

macaron boxes

pastel-tinted marshmallows

other sweets in sweet packaging

Their bakery case showcases edible works of art that I have never seen, including huge macarons, pies, and eclairs.

Super tempted to quit the East Coast and move out to LA just to work at Bottega Louie. I mean, who wouldn't?

California Adventure Part 3: Food!

Remember how I said I gained 5 pounds? This one post will show you all just how much food was consumed in one week...

Here's Part 3:
A-Won Japanese Restaurant, 913 S. Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90006
This place is known for their big bowls of rice topped with colorful fish roe or chunks of fresh sashimi. the bowl was humongous; like it could have been a comfortable hat for a bear... Is this not a work of art???

Beer Belly, 532 S. Western Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90020

My friend and I stopped by here for happy hour before heading to dinner. Apparently their duck fat fries are too delicious to miss! As a lover of french fries and all things fried, I had to try them! You can definitely taste the duck fat flavor in the fries, and the duck skin cracklins on top are a nice fatty crunch on top. 

Tahoe Galbi, 3986 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90010

Whenever I visit my friend in Los Angeles, I make her take me to All You Can Eat Korean BBQ. I mean, they have places like this in the East as well, but it's just not as good and just not as CHEAP! What they say about happy cows living in California must be true. The meat just tastes better and fresher here. There are so many options to choose from and each place has their own little pluses, but this place is my favorite thus far!

Mastro's Steakhouse, 246 N. Canon Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210

We went to this famous chain steakhouse for a goodbye dinner for a friend, and it was delicious! Everything from the steak, to the sides, to the dessert, was so good! OMG that butter cake... It had a bit of a crust, but the inside was moist and it was all topped with vanilla ice cream and a raspberry sauce. I found some pinterest recipes, so I will be trying to recreate this really soon! 

The Yellow House Cafe, 234 S. Oxford Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90004

JJ took me to the most adorable little cafe I have ever been to. It is literally a yellow house, complete with a courtyard and multiple rooms and floors. Every space in this house is filled with tables, chairs, and sofas for customers to lounge in. I have never seen a place like this around me, so it was pretty cool to see. I hear these kind of cafes are all over Korea, but considering I haven't been there in probably 10 years, I wouldn't know!

There is one more California post left... Yup! Just when you thought, DAMN this girl ate a lot in a week, there's one last place that I went to and absolutely fell in love with. I would move out to California just to eat and work there! Stay tuned...

California Adventure Part 2: Donuts

Donuts... Fried dough topped with sugary sweetness... I don't do a lot of deep frying at home. Honestly, if I were to witness the process of my favorite foods being fried, I probably wouldn't eat them as much. HAHA! Who am I kidding!? I encountered many different kinds of donuts on my trip to LA; from the simple glazed donuts you see at your local bakeshop to the not-so-common bacon-topped one.

Here's Part 2:
Cafe Dulce, 134 Japanese Village Plaza, Bldg. E Los Angeles, CA 90012
While my friend, JJ, was hard at work treating patients and saving lives, I took her car and drove to Little Tokyo in Downtown Los Angeles. In search for a sweet snack, I stumbled upon Cafe Dulce. What really intrigued me about this little cafe, was the assortment of donuts they had on display. As a lover of sugary kid's cereal, the Fruity Pebbles-topped donut caught my eye. Sitting right next to it was a similar donut topped with bacon pieces. Yup, bacon pieces. I'm the type that dips my bacon into my maple syrup, so this was right up my alley. Moving down the line, I saw a green tea donut rolled in sugar. And next to that one was a pillow-looking bun with chestnuts on top. Naturally, I purchased all 4... The dough was pillow-y and soft. The white glaze on the first two wasn't too sweet, which was great because the Fruity Pebbles would have sent it over the edge.

- Bacon and Fruity Pebbles -

- Green Tea -

- Chestnut Bun -

Part 2 Continued: Krispy Kreme, 1231 Wilshire Blvd. Santa Monica, California 90403
My last meal in California was at Krispy Kreme. The closest one to me at home is kinda of a pain to get to, and also happens to be underground (Penn Station, NYC). There's something about having Krispy Kremes from the actual store... So, I had 2 before I went to the airport, overlooking the Pacific Ocean one last time.

- Breakfast of Champions! -

California Adventure Part 1: MILK

I promised a post all about my fabulous food adventure in California, so here it is! After gaining 5 pounds from my week-long trip to the Los Angeles area, I realized that I did a lot of eating... To put them all down in one post would be incredibly embarrassing, so I have decided to distribute the evidence of my gluttony over the course of 4.

Here is Part 1: MILK, 7290 Beverly Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90036
I begged my friend, JJ, to bring me here 3 times over the course of 6 days! Why 3 times you ask? With a freezer full of macaron ice cream sandwiches, how could I not come every day? Not only that, these babies sell out fast! Didn't get to try their popular blue velvet cake because I was too distracted by the ice cream, but will do next time I visit. :)

- even their storefront is awesome -

- ice cream case full of goodness -

- Day 1 -

- Day 2 -

- Day 3 -

Just amazing... You would think that the macaron shell would be really brittle and hard from that thick slab of ice cream in the middle and from being in the freezer, but it actually is still chewy on the inside. MILK also lets you custom make your ice cream sandwiches, so be prepared of all the different flavor combinations! 

Bridal Shower (Champagne & Navy)

A new year brings with it new beginnings! I'm not just talking about making New Year's resolutions.. I'm referring to the start of wedding season and the beautiful marriages people I know will soon be, well beginning.

One of my coworkers is getting married next week, and in honor of her upcoming nuptials, we threw her a surprise bridal shower. As the resident baker at my workplace, I was in charge of cupcakes. Of course they were mini cupcakes, because we all have resolutions to keep :)

Congrats, Ahinoa!

- Champagne & Navy Chocolate Cupcakes -