Hawaii - Leonard's Bakery

Thanksgiving in 2014 was celebrated with a reunion of old friends and and their families. Where you might ask?  On the island of Oahu in Hawaii.  It will go down in history as one of the best family holidays ever!!!  While we were there we discovered Leonard's Bakery.  Leonard's is famous for its Malasadas.  Malasadas are a Portuguese tradition-deep fried doughnut.  They are absolutely scrumptious.  You can get many different filling such as mango, coconut, chocolate, custard, but my favorite is the sugar and cinnamon.

Beachwood Cafe Los Angeles

Breakfast in Los Angeles.  I have found the most amazing destination hidden in Hollywood.  The name is Beachwood Café.  It is a vintage café, if there is such a thing!  It is right where the old Hollywoodland housing estate used to be.  The gates are gone now but the stone pillars are still standing. 

The food was wholesome, healthy and generous.  Everyone in our group had eggs with something.  The most delicious breakfast I have had in years.  Service was fast and efficient.  Drinks were excellent.  It was sooo good we went back again the next morning!

Blue Apron

Last week I received a gift from my son and his girlfriend.  Blue Apron.  This is a food delivery service and is absolutely fantastic.  All ingredients are fresh and packaged in secure ziplock bags.  The box is insulated and the bottom is layered with plenty of ice packs. 

There were 3 complete meals for 2 people each meal.  The meals are so generous there is always a little left over. 

My favorite so far is the Pan-Seared Drum and Tomato Jam.  The recipe card is beautifully presented, great colors and step by step directions.  I am a cook, but I truly believe anyone can do this

True Food Kitchen: New San Diego Restaurant

Yesterday I discovered a new restaurant in San Diego, True Food Kitchen.  It is in fashion Valley and absolutely fantastic.  A farm to table concept. I love everything about this place. The crudite bowl was a piece of art work.  My other favorite was fresh sardines, which do not appear on menus very often.

Da Noi in Melbourne, Australia

My favorite new restaurant I dined at in Melbourne was Da Noi. The owner/chef is Sardinian and his food is Italian with Spanish and Arab influences. We were told that the menu changes daily according to the produce available. So each course was a surprise. Absolutely everything was fantastic and having the added element of surprise made for a very fun evening.

We started with some appetizers of grilled octupus... We shared 2 mains between three of us. The roast pork melted in your mouth and then we had a black ink risotto with cuttlefish. Both were delectable. For dessert we managed to eat a homemade donut with a custard filling served in a brown bag. I would highly recommend this restaurant if you are visiting South Yarra. South Yarra is a trendy and stylish shopping and eating destination.

Botannical in Melbourne, Australia

This is my first blog for 2011.  I visited Australia for Christmas and New Year.  First stop was Melbourne. Some of my family stayed in South Yarra and the other half stayed in Armadale.  Both are great food destinations.  One of my favorite restaurant/cafe was Botannical. Excellent breakfasts, lunches and dinners.  They also have a very happening bar and outdoor area for after work drinks.

Another day I went to the Vietnamese area of Melbourne, Richmond. Victoria St is one Vietnamese restaurant after another.  My reason for visiting was: I had read an article in the Australian Gourmet about David Chang's (Owner of Momofuku in New York) favorite Pho.   We went to Chu The, Traditional Vietnamese Rice Noodle Soup.  264 Victoria St, Richmond. 3121.  The chicken soup was fantastic, I would highly recommend it.