189 by Dominique Ansel

James-Beard award winning chef Dominique Ansel became famous for his innovative creation, The Cronut. His pastry shops have lines that wrap around corners and The Cronut sells out within hours everyday. 189 is his first full-service restaurant, and his first location in Los Angeles. Located in the Grove, the downstairs is the pastry shop that still had a line when I showed up for our dinner reservations at 8PM. The restaurant is above the pastry shop. I really liked the decor of the restaurant but unfortunately forgot to snap any pictures.

Their menu for dinner (unlike their brunch) is small plates style. We tasted a good variety of dishes. I would say everything was good, but overall nothing absolutely amazing. The most interesting dish was surprisingly the roasted radicchio and endive salad with fresh honeycomb. The short rib was tasty also but tasted much more like a steak than a short rib. The chicken had some hype but the accompaniments that came with the chicken were better than the chicken itself. In reading the descriptions of the dishes, garlic was all over the menu! This made me a little nervous given I am not a huge garlic lover but I never felt the garlic over-powered the dishes. 

The dessert we settled on had a really interesting presentation. It was a milk granita that came out looking like a sunny side up egg. Next time I want to taste some things from the pastry shop and also stop by for brunch, which is served with different food carts stopping by the table.

Mussels with Spicy Chorizo, Rice Vermicelli and a Ton of Garlic

Roasted Radicchio with Fresh Honeycomb, Endive and Hazelnut - amazing!

Dirty Potatoes - Smashed and Crispy, with Mustard and Whole-roasted Head of Garlic

Seared Hen of the Woods with egg and shaved parmesan

7 Hour Slow-roasted Lamb Shoulder with Apple Cider and Roasted Persimmons

Grilled Fruit Marinated Short Rib, Deep Balsamic Reduction, Winter Squash

Half Rotisserie Baby Chicken with Black Garlic Rice Stuffing and Chilled Spicy Scallion Salad

Served with a side of Chicken Jus (not pictured)

"The Well" - Milk Granita, Wildflower Honey, Passion Fruit Gelée, Fennel

Clearly made to look like a sunny side up egg

Stateside - Seattle

I went to Seattle for the first time in January and was really impressed by the food selection. A lot of seafood present, of course. But I also noticed a large Asian influence. I presume given it's proximity to Asia, they have a large Asian population. I had brunch at a French-Vietnamese fusion restaurant called Stateside right by Starbucks Reserve (a must go!). After spending a month in Vietnam last year, it brought back good memories. Nothing like an iced Vietnamese coffee to get me going in the morning. The food was really interesting at this restaurant and the decor was so charming. I wouldn't mind going back to try out their dinner menu next time. 

For those who have been to Seattle, you already know Pike Place Market is the place to be. Every type of food, from fruits to cheeses to fresh seafood, is available there. I spent the majority of my time just walking around tasting this and that. One day as I was headed there, I stumbled upon what I would imagine my heaven to be. It was a chocolate and wine shop called The Chocolate Box! Of course I went in for a fantastic chocolate and wine pairing and bought some chocolate lovers paraphernalia to take home with me. Their chocolates were absolutely amazing, I definitely recommend stopping by if you are in the area!

We were overall adventurous in trying a variety of wines from the Washington area throughout the trip. But our favorite by far was by Fidelitas, the 2014 Red Mountain 4040 Red Wine. Hopefully I can get my hands on a few bottles to enjoy at home.

Gorgeous Bar

Vietnamese Iced Coffee

Coconut Yogurt Parfait with Tropical Fruit

Open Faced Omelette with Gruyere and Country Ham

Open Faced Omelette with Shrimp and Lemongrass

Side of Lime Leaf Sausage - super interesting

Wine and Chocolate pairing at Chocolate Box on Pine Street

Some of the contraptions at the Starbucks Reserve

Our coffee-chocolate pairings at Starbucks (WAY better than their typical coffee)