Adore Dessert Café

I was very happy to hear that Patrick, my favorite French dessert maestro, is back in the US and has opened Adore Dessert Café with his partner Kaity! 

Their new space is much bigger with plenty of free parking, close to the Redondo Beach Pier on Catalina Ave. They will also be expanding their menu beyond desserts once they hire enough staff. In the meantime, they are serving their wonderful viennoiseries, patisseries, quiches, coffee and tea.

I love their buttery croissants, cannelés, pain au chocolat, ham and cheese croissants, and their incredibly light and fluffy vegetable and mushroom quiches.

I've missed their smiling faces and happy energy as much as their rose macarons. Like recovering a lost treasure, the sadness of loss only adds to the pleasure of finding more than you began with in the first place :)

Moulin

Ever since the pandemic, I have not ventured beyond Los Angeles County, so since I still needed more freeway miles for my car to pass smog inspection, it was time to visit Moulin in Newport Beach. It was easy to find despite the construction detour for the Google maps exit (it's just as easy to take Jamboree to Bristol). The large parking lot and spacious shop and patio made it inviting for those of us who follow social distancing and mask protocols to feel secure. 

By 1pm on a weekday, the cases were already low on some of the most popular items, but there were enough choices to make the trip worthwhile.

They had a few baguettes left, so that alone was worth the drive :)

I got a few croissants for the next morning

a Madeleine for the drive back

a chocolate eclair and 

the fantastic apple tart was my favorite pastry!

Desserts by Patrick

Finding a great French pâtisserie in Los Angeles near the beach is equivalent to finding a gold nugget in the sand, but I did! Desserts by Patrick in Redondo Beach is a French jewel sparkling with colorful gelato flavors, light airy meringues that melt in your mouth, and pastries ranging from chocolate ganache to raspberry pistachio cakes. Everything is made by Patrick, who is usually behind the counter baking or making the gorgeous offerings while listening to Radio Monaco as he works. He's been here 3 years, but coming from France, he's been working at his craft since he was a teenager, so the deft skills honed over years of practice, can be tasted in every bite of his handiwork.

Stepping into his small shop, you could imagine it is in the South of France near the sea, with classics in the cases that are sometimes empty from the locals who have come in for sweet treats. I've learned to go early and buy more than one thing to be sure I always have something sweet to give or share.

The flavors of the gelato and macarons change, but I bet that you will find at least a few that will tempt you.

My favorite is coconut sorbet, so I always get that if it is available, but if I don't mind spoiling my next meal, I would combine it with a decadent chocolate :)

I shared some macarons with someone who had never had good ones; chocolate, lemon, caramel, and rose. She declared that she decided she liked macarons after tasting these :) Patrick was experimenting with peanut butter and I got one later to give to a peanut butter fan who wondered why I only got one!

During a week of 100+F I had to transport dessert with my car air-conditioning on high, but even so, some of the filling from the salted caramel melted onto the other desserts...still delicious, but a bit messy! The delicate meringue stars are like puffy clouds that melt in your mouth, and because they are made with egg whites, they are good for you :)

Depending on the day and time of day that you visit, the case may be more or less empty, so plan accordingly for more choices.

Probably my favorite dessert is the chocolate ganache, which was a bit smushed during transport, but tasted like rich chocolate heaven. I especially appreciated the use of great chocolate and restraint in the amount of sugar used.

The Napoleon used a vanilla custard that was so good I actually enjoyed it as much as the flaky layers.

One of the days I went later in the afternoon, the only chocolate left were these two éclairs, so I *had* to settle for them.

If you want to be sure you have enough dessert on hand, you can take home an entire cake, like this Red one:)

For fans of non-chocolate desserts, I highly recommend the raspberry and pistachio Emeraude, with light layers and the perfect balance of textures and flavors that are as beautiful as the design.

Hmmm it's lunch time....I may have to have dessert first if it is made by Patrick!

Spending All Day at Lunetta

Loving food and living in Los Angeles for most of my life, there are a few chefs I have followed as they have moved around town. Some of my favorite places are the ones where a chef left the steady income of a big name brand to open a smaller, more personal, and casual place where they can showcase their talents without anyone reining them inside a certain kind of menu. The risk for doing what they love means their wallets will pay if the gamble with the public palate craps out, but after years and sometimes decades at the helm, hopefully the sixth sense of balancing creativity with cash flow comes as second nature, and they find their groove with their groupies.

Lunetta and Lunetta All Day share a kitchen and the captain at the helm is Raphael Lunetta with some partners who know food. I loved JiRaffe, and I have enjoyed his skills at Broadway Deli and Patina over the years, but Lunetta All Day may be my favorite iteration to date of the mélange of Mediterranean sensibility with Californian cuisine. Even the decor reminds me of the seaside cafés in the South of France, so of course I started with a nice glass of vinho verde for $6 during an afternoon Happy Hour.

There is a small but inviting outdoor patio with a small nook, providing outdoor dining when the temperature permits (which is most days in Southern California).

I came for the octopus tacos $9 for two, and they did not disappoint with tender morsels and good vegetables. Of course I also added hot sauce, and of course, they had three options :)

I was invited to an evening tasting of their new summer menu at Lunetta and enjoyed the meatballs for $16 so much that when I came back with a friend for lunch I raved about them, so she ordered them and literally cleaned her plate! This side salad came with the tender meatballs on creamy polenta, so it was a hearty but balanced meal.

I was going to order the grilled fish until I learned that it was salmon...so disappointed that even in California, Americans will eat salmon, but rarely eat any other fish. I understand restaurants can't stock fish no one orders, so please EVERYONE in the USA, order a fish besides salmon and tuna!!!!! I beg you!!!! Try one that has a head and tail, that is NOT tilapia! Ok tirade over....so instead I ordered the tuna Niçoise which was delightful for $18.50 and came with a salad on the side like the meatballs!  The tuna was seasoned correctly, and I loved the farm egg with the rich yolk, cooked to perfection! I was carrying my French gray salt so I added some to my salad for the extra oomph I love, but I think most people would enjoy it was it was served.

We saved room for dessert and we were eying the table next to us eating the lemon ricotta pancakes (yes for lunch), so we ordered a brownie $3.25 and one pancake $5.25 with blueberry butter and maple syrup as a dessert :)

We discovered the brownie had chocolate chunks in it!!!!!Surprise hidden treasure of decadent richness that was just the right amount of sweetness. Spending time with a good friend is always a sweet experience, but sharing a meal together at Lunetta All Day made it a mini vacation to the mediterranean :)

Eataly Sweet Finale Part 3

The Eataly finale ends on a sweet note :) 

After perusing every sit down or take away option, my friend and I decided to eat lunch elsewhere. We made our decision based on our very picky standards; she has lived in and traveled extensively through Italy, and she has even taken cooking classes in Italy. I am just picky, especially after having eaten incredible meals in Rome for very reasonable prices. 

The rotisserie had a lamb special that day, but once we got to the counter, they said, "Sorry, no lamb today, they sold it yesterday by mistake, so we have tri tip today". Neither one of us wanted to pay over $20 for a small pizza or plate of simple pasta plus another $20 for a decent glass of wine. 

Being in the newly remodeled Westfield Century City Mall, there were many other wonderful options, so we went to my old favorite Rock Sugar, and came back for a coffee and pastry.

We looked through all the pastry and dessert cases,

and the candy cases, including the chocolate cases, and gelato stand,

 but we decided on coffee and viennoiseries.

 I chose the raisin twist,

and she chose the almond cream. We tasted both but we each wisely chose our favorite. Because there were no seats, we ended up having our coffee standing up at the coffee bar, just as we would have done in Italy :)

Since we were fortified with some sugar and caffeine, we wandered upstairs to shop in the cookware and toys section, where we saw the SMEG500, a Fiat fridge! 

For the ultimate Italian wine cooler/conversation piece! As the saying goes if you must ask how much it is, you should not buy it (you must apply to purchase it)!

Happy Hours

Los Angeles is infamous for its traffic, and sometimes it just is not worth getting on any freeway or surface street until it's a bit less clogged. Notice I said "a bit"...lately it seems there is no "off peak" time anymore, but unless you are masochistic or have the patience of a saint, avoiding anytime between 4-6 pm might save a life (your own if you have high blood pressure). Happy hours are a great invention to get some food and calming liquid into your system. Please don't over indulge and drive drunk, but if you have some time and eat something, one drink might mellow you out for your 2-3 hour commute. I take the metro more  often than I drive, so not only do I get to indulge in adult beverages, but I also watch the cars on the freeway from my perch on the rails :)

I took the metro Expo line to the terminus at Santa Monica and discovered the Independence about a block away. Weekdays from 3-6pm they offer a selection of $5 drinks and bites. I had my first Paloma here and loved it! It was nice and tart and strong enough that even though I was walking, I only had one :)

I couldn't resist the oysters, but I wouldn't choose them again....the lack of expert shucking left bits of shell and they were not the freshest. Neighboring patrons had the mussels and meatballs that smelled wonderful, but I didn't want to ruin my appetite for dinner.

I was out in Claremont and happened to be in time for Bardot's Happy Hour from 3-6pm on weekdays. They have special promos most evenings and Wednesday is Whiskey night with $7 cocktails and delicious $3 bites like crab cake sliders. I had a food issue which was resolved so quickly and professionally that I went back the next week.

The drink and food specials change depending on the day of the week for happy hour, so when I went back it was Martini Monday night; $7 for top shelf brands like Ketel One, Grey Goose, or Bombay Sapphire. I chose a "hot and dirty", basically a dirty martini with a splash of tabasco :)

The $5 tuna tartare was fantastic with a bit of seaweed, guacamole, mango, and micro greens to complement the very fresh and excellent ahi. The crispy fried and salted wonton chips were so good that I defy you to have just one!

I already love Red Herring for brunch, but after trying their happy hour, I also love them for later in the day. Their Happy Hour is Tuesday-Friday from 5-7pm when you can get wine or cava for $7 and duroc pork belly bacon BLT sliders for $5 on a parker house roll (you get TWO for that price).

 Frida is a popular place for Mexican drinks and bites, but I'd never tried them until recently. They have Happy Hour everyday from 3-7pm, with additional late night Happy Hour Sunday-Thursday from 9-10pm and Friday-Saturday from 10-11pm. Well drinks are $5 and margaritas are $6 (add $2 for Cadillac or Agave). I chose the spicy and was very pleasantly surprised by the level of spice :) 

I didn't want to drink on an empty stomach, so I ordered a veggie taco with portobello, zucchini, bell peppers, and tomato for $4. It was just enough to absorb some alcohol without filling me up too much to eat dinner.

When two friends braved the freeways to come see me, we stopped by for a quick drink and bite at Eden on Brand before a show. The space is modern, light, and airy, with the bar as the central focal point underneath a light sculpture.

One of my friends craved mac and cheese so we ordered it off the regular menu for $12. The pasta was a bit dense and thick for the lightly creamy sauce, but she enjoyed the flavors nonetheless.

Besides our drinks being discounted, their shrimp ceviche, with avocado cream, radish, and yuzu, was only $7 instead of $12. We all enjoyed this so much we would have ordered another if we had not been running late to the show. My friends loved their mojito, and when I told the bartender I preferred my paloma less sweet, he adjusted it perfectly :)

I think that happy hour doesn't have to involve alcohol or savory food, and it can be anytime you want something to make you happy! 

Three Twins organic ice cream makes me happy and if you don't live near a location, you can buy their products in many markets nationwide. My cone of mint confetti in a teensy size was the perfect portion for me after a big lunch.

My other friends combined scoops of cardamom, strawberry, and Mexican chocolate to create their own bowl of joy:)