KindKreme: Organic, Raw, Vegan Ice Cream

I love my roommate. She is my complete opposite in every way, making us each other's balancing force  - especially with food.

I'll admit that I'm a bad influence. Food is exciting, my true comfort, while she looks at it purely as nourishment. Valerie can often be seen joyfully eating lettuce out of the bag, trash-talking gluten and trying to keep her body alkaline (secret: I still don't know what that means).

But we can agree on one thing: ice cream! The two of us ventured to Studio City for a scoop of vegan, organic and raw ice cream. If you can't already sense it, I'm skeptical.

KindKreme, is located in a strip mall right by the 101 Freeway, next to Poquito Mas. I made a crack about eating carnitas before going into a cafe full of dietary restriction (Secret #2: I was only half kidding).

It looks like any gelato shop. There is a case with a dozen flavors, all up for tasting. I try the Coffee Nib and the Caramel Latte, both made with an almond milk base. Val got the caramel apple, made with coconut milk. We were both sold.

Each scoop is $3.99 and toppings are $.99 (super pricey!), but when you look at the ingredients they are working with, it seems fair. They only use vanilla, coconut, almonds, cashews, agave, honey, cacao, maca and chia. And no, I didn't know what those last two items were either. Maca is a root vegetable and chia is an edible desert seed. If I ate either of them that day, there would be no way of knowing.

Luckily, you can get two different flavors in a scoop. I enjoyed both my coffee flavors with raw salted caramel syrup and Val indulged in caramel apple with cacoa nibs. I'll admit it was surprising that the flavors were so tasty. The only thing that differs from real ice cream is the texture. It was more icy, similar to a finely chopped snow cone. The "kreme" melts quicker and you don't get the fullness like after eating the real deal. This may be a perk for some people.

All in all, KindKreme has a lot to offer. They serve coffee, espresso, shakes, smoothies, cafe fare (Kale Salad of the Day, anyone?) and even waffles. Almost their entire menu, sans Newman's Os as a topping, is gluten free. They are also organic, except for a bit of lecithin used in their kreme. It's all very impressive, especially once you realize this could only exist in L.A.

We also saw a popular 90s actor come into the shop with a very beautiful blonde woman. I hated that I knew who he was - just like I hated that I was in a raw, vegan establishment. It's not KindKreme's fault.

The place is very cute, a bright and colorful cafe tucked away in the corner. If you eat your dessert there, you are served in a ramekin and given a biodegradable spoon. Yes, my roommate asked when she was denied a real spoon.

Just as I was pondering whether to move out of our house on account of vegan overload, a message appeared at the bottom of my dish. It read: What are you greatful for?

The answer was so clear: dairy!

KindKreme  

3701 Cahuenga Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90068

P. (818) 308-6758

Have Some Fun With Your Food at Lucky Strike

On a recent trip back to Los Angeles, I called up my good friend Jacey and asked her if she would meet me at Lucky Strike Lanes & Lounge in Hollywood for lunch. She’s been a bartender at the Hollywood location of this now national chain for as long as I’ve known her, so she was well qualified to give me the lowdown on this great one-stop-shop for food, drinks and fun, which fortunately happens to be a part of the Rewards Network.  We got lucky, pun intended, with an unusually quiet Saturday afternoon (normally birthday parties take over during weekend days), and sat down in one of the lounge areas to order up some snacks.  It wasn’t my first time at Lucky Strike - I’ve had my share of drinks at the bar, tasty treats off the menu, and not nearly as many spares or strikes as I would have liked on the lanes. But now I wanted the story. And some fries. 

The first Lucky Strike opened in Hollywood in May of 2003.  Owners Steven and Gillian Foster had been big into the roller skating scene in the 70s and 80s as rink owners, and they loved the idea of combining dining and entertainment.  They first opened Gillian’s, also now a national chain, on Universal Citywalk, as a casual bowling, dining and bar environment. But they wanted to take it further, envisioning a similar idea with a much more upscale twist - a bowling lounge, if you will. As the idea took hold and began to spread and develop, the Hollywood location became the smallest and the most casual of all the Lucky Strikes, which now stretch across the country in 21 different cities in the US and Canada, including a second LA location downtown, Orange County, New York City, Denver, Bellevue, Houston, Miami, Louisville, Boston and Chicago (many of the locations participate in the Rewards Network dining programs as well).

Lucky Strike is currently in the midst of a menu overhaul, with a new variety of offerings coming out next month.  The new menu is part of their continued effort to keep the vibe of the place upscale and current, but with a little help from my inside scoop, we were able to order some of the favorites that you’ll still be able to get after the upgrade. The new menu features an expanded range of dinner choices as well as a large selection of appetizers and small plates, great for sharing while you bowl. And you can order and eat in either the dining area, a traditional restaurant setting, in the lounge – at tables or the bar, or at your bowling lane.  One of my favorite options, and one I’ve had before, are the signature mini burgers.  Something between a slider and full-size burger, they come in a variety of styles and you can order up a combo of two or three, served up with a side of some seriously tasty fries.  We went for the blue cheese burger and the buffalo chicken burger, but I was salivating over the short rib burger on the new menu, so I’ll probably have to go back.  Both were good, but order extra buffalo sauce with the chicken burger, it was dressed a little light. The coconut shrimp and the chicken pillows, essentially dumplings, rounded out our sampler for the day and both items can still be found on the new menu. The coconut shrimp was probably my favorite out of everything we ate. Oh, and those fries. Well, and the chocolate insanity cake. C’mon, there’s always room for dessert, especially when it’s the right combo of cakey and gooey and covered in melting ice cream.

So here’s all the important stuff you need to know before you head to your neighborhood Lucky Strike for some pretty glamorous burgers and bowling. If it’s a weekend evening and you want to bowl, reservations are a very good idea.  For $60 an hour, you can cram as many people as you want onto your lane. If you prefer to take your chances with the wait list, it’ll cost you $6.95-7.95 per person, per game, but on a Saturday night, be prepared to wait, it could be a few hours. If you just want to eat or hang out at the bar, no reservations are necessary.  After 7 p.m., the place switches over to 21 and up and Thursday-Monday, there’s a D.J. in the house spinning tunes. Tuesday night is karaoke and Wednesday features live bands. Monday night is also service industry night and if you work in the service business, bring a paystub from your job for happy hour prices all night and free bowling. This info is for the Hollywood location, so your local Lucky Strike might be set up a little differently, so it’s best to call and check. 

Whether you want to arrange a birthday party or just have a night out with friends at a place where you can find it all, Lucky Strike is a ball, pun intended. And with a gourmet menu and a well-stocked premium bar, it ain’t your neighborhood dive bowling alley either. Which means it’s not only safe to eat the food, it’s a pretty darn good idea.

Lucky Strike Lanes - Hollywood

6801 Hollywood Blvd 
Hollywood, CA 90028
P. (323) 467-7776

Karen is a member of AAdvantage Dining^SM

Winning the Loteria - Studio City, California

Joe and I have lived in Studio City for about a year and a half now, and there are still lots of restaurants we’ve been meaning to get to (this “Jack in the Box” sounds amusing). But a few weeks ago we were pleasantly surprised to see a new neighbor, the brand spankin’ new Loteria Grill, a restaurant we’ve been to a few times in its Hollywood and Farmers Market locations. Why do we like Loteria?  Because if there’s one thing sure to please us, it’s a good sampler platter, and Loteria Grill has a doozy.

I (Molly) come from Dallas, and I was more or less raised on Tex Mex cuisine.  What exactly is Tex Mex, you ask?  I’m not really sure, but I think it’s based heavily on cheese and sour cream. I grew up expecting all Mexican food to involve heavy doses of cheese and various sauces, so imagine my surprise (and delight) when I moved to Los Angeles and found Mexican food that had a fresher, lighter feel to it.  An excellent example of this is Loteria’s Probaditas Sampler, which features two-bite versions of every single kind of taco offered on the menu (twelve of them, count ‘em twelve!).

And what are the twelve kinds of tacos? Too many to name here, but there are a few from each category of beef, chicken, pork, and vegetable. I should mention these are soft tacos in corn tortillas, whereas in Tex Mex vernacular all “tacos” are considered crunchy unless described otherwise. And these aren’t drowning in cheese or overflowing with iceberg lettuce shreds; you’re tasting all the main ingredients here: shredded beef, chicken mole, and cactus salad to name a few. Joe and I like to get this platter as an appetizer, both of us getting one delicious bite of each taco (don’t take a phone call or go to the bathroom during this appetizer, or else suffer the consequences).

 For our entrees, Joe ordered the chiles rellenos (of which there were two: ancho with black beans, chorizo, and goat cheese, and poblano with plantain and queso fresco), and I had one of that night’s specials, chipotle shrimp (hot!) with avocado and corn tortillas. With the addition to copious refills of chips and salsa, this was more than enough food for dinner…for three or four people.

Oh, did I mention Margaritas? Joe got a regular ol’ Margarita on the rocks, while I got a jalapeno one that was nice and spicy (but not too spicy).  They’re pretty standard, but the jalapeno one is a nice, spicy twist on tradition. We did, I’m ashamed to admit, skip dessert. I know, I know, it’s just not right. But Loteria had done us in (in the best way, of course), and we could even read the words “tres leches” without keeling over in (delicious) pain.

The Loteria grill in Studio City is a fairly large restaurant, but it has the feeling of a neighborhood joint. There were lots of families there with young kids (yes, as we’ve mentioned before, we enjoy eating dinner before the post office closes), and generally there was a very friendly vibe. There are still lots of other new places for us to try in Studio City, but I imagine we’ll be back for another taco sampler before too long.

Loteria Grill

12050 Ventura Blvd 
Studio City, CA 91604
P. (818) 508-5300

(Loteria's Hollywood location also participates in the Rewards Network dining programs.)

Molly and Joe are members of AAdvantage Dining^SM

Burbank's Breakfast Hideaway: Bea Bea's

Admittedly, I have done the unthinkable for an L.A. girl - I've moved to the Valley! My hip Silverlake existence has been replaced by a roomy living situation and a plethera of strip malls. In scouring the East San Fernando Valley for its culinary gems, I discovered Bea Bea's, located in said strip mall. No complaints here!

The menu could rival any deli in length and options. Not only is there an entire page detailing sweet breakfast treats such as pancakes, waffles, french toast and crepes, but the other side is full of savory egg dishes and combos that include everything but the kitchen sink. Decadence is offered in the Uh Oh Oreo (oreo cookies, marshmallows and carmelized walnuts on buttermilk pancakes) or the Palmmy's Early Bright (choice of pancake, waffle, French toast or crepes served with two eggs any style & a New York steak or pork chop).

All of that goodness is served alongside healthy options. Gluten-free pancakes are offered, along with the grilled veggie frittata (egg white frittata, grilled eggplant, asparagus, bell pepper, onion, sun dried tomatoes, and feta cheese). Those are just personal favorites, but you can get an omelet made "eggs-actly the way you want it." And if you don't eat eggs, you can have tofu!

The lunch menu is just as tempting. Two full pages are dedicated to quesadillas, burritos, sandwiches, wraps, pasta, burgers and salads. There is truly something for everyone - including the vegans in your life!

Although Bea Bea's can't been seen from the street, it's packed during the weekend brunch rush. Employees at the nearby Disney, WB, NBC studios all take advantage of their 10% discount and rave about the food while waiting for a table. The restaurant may look crowded at first glance, but the wait was not long. Due to the excellent service, patrons are not waiting long for their food. The atmosphere is casual, no snobbery. It's common to see hipsters dressed to the nines having breakfast over the hill, but none of that here. The Bea Bea's crowd is mostly families and locals, all just happy to be together for a meal.

Prices are average (about $15 for meal, including a drink), but considering the portions, you are getting your money's worth. When you order waffles, you get a plate of four.

Bea Bea's has yet to launch an official website, but you can visit them on Facebook or view their menu.

It's a relief to know that even when you move, delicious food is always around the corner.

Bea Bea's

353 N Pass Ave
Burbank, CA 91505
P. (818) 846-2327

Alex is a member of eScrip Dining 

A Meaty Oasis in the Desert - Pioneertown, CA

This weekend, Molly and I found ourselves in the rare and enviable position of having nothing to do, so we decided to find something fun to do in the area. One of the great benefits of living in Los Angeles is that you are surrounded by so many different cool destinations that seem to be worlds away from the city. Mountains, oceans, forests, vineyards and deserts are all a short drive away. We opted for deserts on this weekend and headed out towards Joshua Tree National Park. Just a couple of hours east of LA, Joshua Tree is visual delight of stunning vistas, incredible rock formations, and of course the ubiquitous Joshua Trees, for which the park is named. More importantly however, Joshua Tree is in the middle of nowhere, and Molly and I, of course were concerned (as always) with what we were going to eat.

Nowadays you can get a pretty complete profile of what an area has to offer in about three minutes thanks to the internet or one of the many apps our “smart” phones can offer. Our research brought up one place that seemed to stand out called Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace. Located in Pioneertown (a fake town built in 1946 as a set for western movies - now home to a few gift shops, a small motel and this restaurant) Pappy’s offers pool tables, live music and lots and lots of BBQ goodness.

Since Molly and I prefer to eat on the early bird schedule of a retired couple we walked in a couple of minutes after 5.  After wandering the place aimlessly for a while (there didn’t seem to be any employees on the floor at the time, though there were customers seated and eating), I tracked someone down who found us a table. Though the place was very nearly empty at the time, every single table had a handwritten card noting a later reservation on it. We took this as a good sign and were seated at a table with a 7 p.m. reservation on it so we had plenty of time. As I said, Pappy’s is a BBQ place and there was no shortage of meaty options to be had, and really not many unmeaty options. Luckily Molly and I are omnivores and can work with any menu. (Side note: I have many vegetarian friends, and I wish them well, but I don’t really want them dictating my eating options, so I never feel bad being at a place that doesn’t cater to them. This may say more about me than them however.)

As usual Molly and I did our best to get as much of the menu as possible brought to our table, with her ordering the ½ smoked chicken and me getting the “cowboy combo” of a half slab of baby back ribs AND some tri tip steak. We strategically ordered different sides and vegetables to eliminate repeats (We NEVER EVER order the same sides if possible, to encourage sharing) and waited while the place quickly filled up. Shortly our giant plates of food arrived and we did our best to try to put a dent in them. The chicken was incredible, with a crisp smoky skin (Molly declared it was about as good as chicken can taste) and the ribs and steak were tasty as well (though fairly standard). Weirdly, the vegetables were a highlight as Molly’s broccoli being perfectly steamed (usually broccoli is steamed to death) and my green beans were sautéed with the perfect amount of sliced garlic. Sometimes when you are away on vacation getting leftover food wrapped isn’t an option, but the hotel we were staying at had a fridge, which likely influenced our over-ordering (and we were able to eat a real cowboy breakfast of cold bbq chicken and ribs the next morning). 

At the bottom of the menu it recommends that you ask the server about their fresh baked pies, and so after our dinner was cleared I embarrassed Molly by engaging in some “clever” banter with the waitress about dessert (most of my interactions with servers can be classified as in the style of “embarrassing dad”)

We were told that the pies were still being baked and wouldn’t be ready for about an hour. While this was mildly sad, our hotel was about a three minute walk away, so we settled up, brought the leftovers home, digested dinner for a bit and then came back an hour later for fresh pie. They were offering two of my favorites, pumpkin and blueberry and rather than lament having missed out we ordered both. By this time the band had started playing and the place was packed; luckily we found the last two seats at the bar and ate our still warm pies in less time than it takes a horse to flick a fly off its tail (I was really trying to get some cowboy speak in here, don’t know that I succeeded). It’s good to know that even in places where there are more cacti than people, the people who are there are making good food.   

Pappy & Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace

53688 Pioneertown Road
Pioneertown, CA 92268

Molly and Joe are members of AAdvantage Dining^SM