This year I was fortunate to attend the Los Angeles Magazine’s Burgers Bourbon and Beer event in Santa Monica at The Victorian in Santa Monica.
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Travel / Food Reviews
Sherman Oaks, CA – Crave Cafe
Crave Cafe, 14504 Ventura Boulevard, Sherman Oaks, CA – 818-990-7888
YUM….OMG and AMAZING are just a few words for me to describe the food at Crave Cafe…have you tried this restaurant yet? I have to admit that I had never heard of Crave Cafe until my daughter Kelsi asked if we could go shopping in Sherman Oaks, which is 30 minutes south of me, I said yes to the shopping. After Kelsi and I had shopped, Kelsi asked if we could go for lunch and remembered that she had heard about a “cool” restaurant called Crave Cafe. Of course I said yes, not knowing it would become one of my new favorite restaurants!
On my first visit to Crave Cafe, I only took a photo of my sandwich, my sandwich was a Caprese Panini Panini which is a tomato, mozzarella and basil sandwich that is served warm, my sandwich came with a small side salad and it was delicious, cost $9.00.
I went back to Crave Cafe as I had to experience the food again, it was that good! If you are not familiar with the Sherman Oaks, you should know that Crave Cafe is located on Ventura Boulevard, which is a main street. You can park on Ventura Boulevard and can usually find street side parking but street parking is metered so bring coins and you may have to walk a block to the restaurant, it’s Ventura Boulevard so it is not a bad thing to have to walk as there are shops and other restaurants.
When you enter the restaurant there is a chalk board menu to order from (they also have regular menus, at the counter, if that is easier for you). The restaurant is casual, you order your food at the counter and they give you a number, then a waiter will bring your food to your table.
Crave offers open seating, inside or out, here is a photos of the inside…don’t you just love the interior brick wall that extends to the outside? I did!!!
if you like coffee and you like it strong, you will love the coffee at Crave…and you will not have to worry about getting up to refill your cup as the wait staff will make sure your cup is never empty
Crave offers traditional breakfast dishes, like omelets with hash browns, toast and strawberries. What I really loved about Crave’s omelets is the egg part of the omelets are made on a Krampouz which is professional crepe machine (click here or on the link to open, don’t you just love his accent?), $9.00
to unique dishes like “crunchy” french toast…french toast made with corn flakes…I’m totally making this dish and doing a post on it as it was amazing!!!!!!, $9.00
to a” breakfast pizza” which had a pizza dough base, cheese, bacon and eggs (I’m doing a post on this one too), $8.00
Crave boasts that they do not use butter or oil in their breakfast recipes, excluding the crepes and hash browns and they use a non-stick organic spray. Crave promotes a “healthy way of eating without sacrificing great taste” and I have to admit, you don’t miss the fat from the butter or oils.
If you live in Southern California or you are planning a visit and you are able to visit Crave Cafe, I will say to give it a try. If you do visit Crave Cafe, I would recommend you trying some of the unique items on the menu, like the crunchy french toast or breakfast pizza, you will not be disappointed. Please email me or leave a comment and share your experience as well, I welcome that.
Thank you for visiting my site and I hope you enjoy this recipe.
I do love comments so please feel free to leave me your comment or suggestions. If you would like to be kept up to date with all my new recipes or reviews, please subscribe in the box listed on the top of the page “Subscribe Via Email”.
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Thank you again ~ Patty Limatola-Tanenbaum
Dallas, Texas – Patty Does Dallas
Ok so I just had to use that title for my post as I thought it was funny. Have you ever visited Dallas, Texas before? I had, about 18 years ago as we used to do Apple computer auctions and it allowed me to travel and explore cities I never thought I’d see and it was always fun to explore. Dallas was one of my favorite places we visited, I can remember it as if it was yesterday, we were all standing looking over where Kennedy was shot, we had just finished eating and there was a slight wind, it was the dead of summer and it was very eerie and I had always wanted to go back. So…I went back and it was such an amazing trip, one I will never forget!
Dallas has the energy and life of “everything is BIG in Texas” and let me tell you everything is “big” there, the food is super big portions, they live their lives big and the people are big hearted!
My first day I decided to go into town and visit The Sixth Floor Museum, admission was only $16 but if you have a AAA card, you get a discount. Plan on spending some time in the museum as they give you an audible headset that guides you through the exhibit, I was there for a few hours. No photos are allowed until you are leaving the museum and you enter the 7th floor, there is nothing on the 7th floor but you can take photos of the outside, here is a photo I got of where Kennedy was shot.
That night I went for dinner out, we went to a restaurant it was called “Love and War in Texas” and I ordered ribs…yes I ate ribs in public and even wore BBQ sauce all over my face but let me tell you…it was well worth it…those ribs were finger lickin good! Look at all the meat on those ribs and I believe they were under $20…you get that quote now…”Everything is BIG in Texas”
I really didn’t have my days scheduled as I just wanted to live the life…the next day I got to do something I always wanted to do and never did it…I shot a gun…I have to say, this was one of my highlights of the weekend…although I was bummed as I didn’t shoot the “X” and yes, I shot a gun in heels lol
With no plans, I had no expectations and loved the journey, I ended up at the Dallas Museum of Art, the museum is FREE…can’t beat that right? and while I didn’t take a lot of photos, it was all very interesting…I did grab a shot of these beautiful glass flowers covering a window
After leaving the museum, I walked over to the Klyde Warren Park which is again beautiful…along the park there were food trucks of every kind and people just relaxing and enjoying the day
the park was built over a freeway and offers a variety of FREE and fun stuff for families. If you look closely at my photos you will see the cars of the freeway from each end of the park. For the children there are all kinds of activities, including lots of water fun and it was so great to see the kids enjoying the water and just laughing and having fun.
It was time to eat and at the park there is a restaurant Savor, with both inside and outside eating, we ate outside and didn’t even need those fabulous fans!
the menu is simple
I ordered a spicy bloody mary, which I loved enough to thank the bartender for making it so delicious for me
I also ate an amazing salad, it had scallops, shrimp, mango and pickled ginger and was divine and very fresh indeed!
The park also had ping pong and foosball, again it’s FREE to play…I played two games of ping pong, was winning the first game and realized that wouldn’t be a good thing…the second game I wanted to win so bad…I almost won…but lost…it felt really good to be competitive and I just loved playing as it was my second favorite things I did.
The next morning I ate at a small Mexican restaurant called Cozymels, it was very good and healthy as I ordered the egg white tacos and I just loved the meal, especially the small fruit cup!
I will say that Dallas Texas will always have a special place in my heart…especially after this trip. Was one of my favorite places I have been and I so appreciated the time I spent there…forever thankful!
Thank you for visiting my site and I hope you enjoy reading about my experience. I do love comments so please feel free to leave me your comment or suggestion. If you would like to be kept up to date with all my new recipes, I only post twice a week, please subscribe in the box listed on the top of the page “Subscribe Via Email”. You will be emailed with a link to confirm you are interested in the subscription so be sure to click on that link too.
Thank you again ~ Patty Limatola-Tanenbaum
Ridgeland, MS – My First Experience Eating Crawfish
Shucker’s Oysters Bar, 116 Conestoga Rd, Ridgeland, MS – (601) 853-0105
So no recipe here just my life experience on trying crawfish for the first time.
Have you ever tried eating crawfish? I can officially say that I have tried crawfish and I was so happy I did. Trying fresh crawfish in the south was something I had always wanted to do, probably because watching it on television made it seem so cool and it intrigued me. I can now say that I totally understand the quote, “pinch a little tail, suck a lot of head”, it totally makes sense to me now 😉
I was told by my southern girlfriend that I could only try crawfish if I was in the south and with people who can teach me how to eat it (see the above quote) and I’m happy to say, that’s exactly what happened! I ended up on a trip to Tennessee, which had it’s ups and downs but let me tell you, the ups outweighed the downs. Let me start by saying my big down…my luggage got lost…for 2+ days I had none of my clothes, makeup, shoes…nothing! The worst part of losing my suitcase was that American Airlines kept feeding me lines about where my luggage was and when I’d receive it. Finally at 9:30 pm, I had to go to the airport to pick it up, not good! Then they cancelled my return flight…really not good 🙁
Anyway back to crawfish, I ended up in Mississippi and reconnected with my friends there, I was so happy because I knew we were going to Shucker’s to get crawfish. Shucker’s is a local bar that is fabulous! For those that live in California and know about the Sagebrush Cantina, the atmosphere at Shucker’s is very similar to the Cantina so I felt very comfortable.
We were told to go under the tent and we did, there was a live band playing music and people were dancing, it was so lovely so hear and see, I just LOVE live bands
we got some beer, a pound of crawfish, a corn and a potato…I was so excited to try this little creature!
Here is a little closer view of my pound of crawfish, they even give you wipes…trust me you will need those wipes and they come in very handy
I have to say I was a little skeptical because they smell of seafood was very strong but I went in for the try, looks like a little lobster ha?
I did as the quote said…not really but it sounded good…I did twist the head off and peeled the tail back, then pinched and look at what came out!
I thought the claw was very cute but I will warn you from my mistake, do not attempt to crack open that cute little claw as it will squirt all over your face leaving you ready to use one of those wipes lol (yes that really happened to me)
When I was done eating my crawfish, I had to go in the back to see how they were prepared, so cool ha? It sure held a lot of crawfish
Then they have a strainer that pulls the crawfish up and lets them sit in the juices
I found the crawfish to be very good the way they were prepared, they were very spicy and I loved it! The potato was even more spicier then the crawfish and the corn…oh my, the corn knocked my socks off.
What I learned was…
“What looks, tastes, and smells like seafood, but doesn’t come from the sea? It’s crawfish, a freshwater shellfish that is considered a Louisiana delicacy.”
I will say that eating crawfish at Shucker’s was truly amazing and I’m so lucky I had the opportunity to do so. I can’t wait until next year at this prime time to do it all over again…who’s in?
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Thank you for visiting my site and I hope you enjoy this recipe. I do love comments so please feel free to leave me your comment or suggestion. If you would like to be kept up to date with all my new recipes, I only post twice a week, please subscribe in the box listed on the top of the page “Subscribe Via Email”. You will be emailed with a link to confirm you are interested in the subscription so be sure to click on that link too.
Thank you again ~ Patty Limatola-Tanenbaum
Westlake Village, CA – Raw Living Expo at the Hyatt – 2014
The Raw Living Expo at the Hyatt Hotel, 880 S Westlake Blvd, Westlake Village, CA – (805) 557-1234
Are you familiar with the Raw Living Expo? I had no clue that there was such an expo that specializes in “raw food” and I am so excited as this weekend I will be attending the Raw Living Expo at our local Hyatt in Westlake Village, CA.
What is “raw food”? I did a search and this is how it was explained…
“Raw foodism (or rawism) is a diet consisting of uncooked, unprocessed, and often organic foods or wild foods.
Depending on the type of lifestyle and results desired, raw food diets may include a selection of raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds (including sprouted whole grains such as gaba rice), eggs, fish (such as sashimi), meat (such as carpaccio), and non-pasteurized/non-homogenized dairy products (such as raw milk, raw milk cheese, and raw milk yogurt). It may also include unpasteurized fermented foods such as kefir, kombucha or sauerkraut.”
For me personally, I did a raw food diet as a detox many years ago (I will share more about that when I write about my experience at the expo), what I can share about the raw food detox is, is that I found that I had more energy and my everything just felt good lol.
If you are looking at attending and want to connect with me, pop me an email as I’d love to meet you! I can’t wait to share about my experience!
Thank you for visiting my site and I hope you enjoy this recipe. I do love comments so please feel free to leave me your comment or suggestion. If you would like to be kept up to date with all my new recipes, I only post twice a week, please subscribe in the box listed on the top of the page “Subscribe Via Email”. You will be emailed with a link to confirm you are interested in the subscription so be sure to click on that link too.
Thank you again ~ Patty Limatola-Tanenbaum
Malibu, CA – The Malibu Cafe at Calamigos Ranch
The Malibu Cafe, 327 Latigo Canyon Rd, Malibu, CA – (818) 540-2400
Is there a better way to start the new year then laughing with friends, enjoying the sun and drinking “Bottomless Mimosa’s”?
Last Sunday I was invited to attend a small get together at the Malibu Cafe at Calamigos Ranch, since it was not my weekend with the kids, I figured it was good timing and I hadn’t been able to attend a lot of functions with this group. I can’t tell you how happy I was to have gone, I laughed with this group, ate great food, sat in an great environment and it all just felt great! I had never been to the Malibu Cafe at Calamigos Ranch and to be honest I thought it was a different location/place then what it was. Nonetheless, I dressed appropriately for the event, especially by wearing flat shoes. Ladies, the Malibu Cafe at Calamigos Ranch is an outdoor location and the ground is grass and don’t be surprised if you find wet muddy places, so please, please wear flats!
You will know you have reached the The Calamigos Ranch by the beautiful trees and amazing entry,
has a lot going on so pay attention when you pull into the driveway, this is the main entry, you do not want to end up here unless you are attending a wedding, you must go right
and go down the small hill where you end up on a dirt lot, the Malibu Cafe only offers valet parking, look how beautiful this is…
after leaving your car with at the valet you walk around to the hostess where they will seat you
it was so magical to me, I loved the simplicity and elegance that the Calamigos Ranch offered. I got there early and met with my two friends and began taking photos of the grounds, look how creative this was and it was bright and colorful!
so what do 3 friends do while they are waiting for others to arrive? We take fun photos together, here we are throwing kisses
Others arrived and we did get seated, of course we immediately ordered our mimosa’s, here we are at the table, see how rustic it is?
We all ordered amazing food and the Calamigos Ranch offers enough variety to please everyone, here is what I ordered, it was the Beef Has with Fried Eggs, it was yummy! If I ordered it again, I’d ask for the eggs to be a little more runny as to me that’s the best part, the yolk all over the meat and potatoes!
Here are some other plates, waffles and fried chicken of course!
A salad with a a peanut sesame dressing that was delicious!
and the healthy egg white plate with hash browns, sorry it was the only photo I took, just look beyond the potatoes to see the egg whites ha ha
While eating we watched kids play on the pool table, the one with chandelier hanging over it
it’s family oriented with dads throwing a football
or you can have a romantic setting
you can walk over a small bridge that takes you to a small pond that you can paddle boat on
If you are coming out to Southern Californa and have time to visit the Malibu Cafe at Calamingos Ranch, I would recommend it 100%. Plan on being there a while as service is slow but when you have such beauty around you, who really cares about slow service…that being said, if you are doing the bottomless mimosa’s you may need to encourage your server to visit your table often as only 2 girls did the bottomless and we had to call over our waiter for service.
Thank you for visiting my site and I hope you enjoy this recipe. I do love comments so please feel free to leave me your comment or suggestion. If you would like to be kept up to date with all my new recipes, I only post twice a week, please subscribe in the box listed on the top of the page “Subscribe Via Email”. You will be emailed with a link to confirm you are interested in the subscription so be sure to click on that link too.
Thank you again ~ Patty Limatola-Tanenbaum
Encino, CA – The Red Room
The Red Room – 17499 Ventura Blvd., Encino, CA – March 29, 2011
Last Friday night I was invited to The Red Room which is located in Encino, CA. We had a friend that was visiting us from Tennessee and I’m grateful I was invited as it was a blast to see my friends. I had never heard of The Red Room but I was open to trying it out. We carpooled and I was glad we did as the parking is not great. It’s a cute restaurant that caters to the wine connoisseur, the wine collection is amazing! I shared a bottle of red wine with my girlfriend, it was the Mossback Pinot Noir 2011..it was such a smooth wine. The cost on the wine was $40 or $11 per glass. I’d highly recommend it!
Now for the food…they promote it as a “Tapas Bar”, but I didn’t feel that it was the “Spanish” flair that usually matches the word “Tapas” and they had full portions for food so if you are going to visit it on your own, know that you can get appetizers, salad, pizza or a main meal.
We ordered 2 different salads…the shaved artichoke salad, with shaved Parmesan and a lemon/olive oil dressing on arugula, the cost of the salad was $12
The second salad was the Kale Chopped Salad with kale, quinoa, toasted almond, Parmesan cheese and a lemon vinaigrette dressing, cost for this salad is $9
I got the pizza with wild mushrooms and brie cheese, $10
I shared my pizza with others as it was a large pizza for just one person. My girlfriend had gotten the salmon dish with I believe was $18, she shared it with someone and they LOVED it, I’m sorry I don’t have great shots but it’s my first of many more reviews coming your way!!!