Vegan Donuts Worth Trekking To at Donut Farm

I'm sure you know that I'm not vegan. Not even close! So when I say Donut Farm's vegan donuts are good, I'm actually saying they are good even compared to normal, non-vegan donuts.

Donut Farm, also known as Pepples Donut Farm, started in Northern California, but has since opened a location in Los Angeles. Silverlake, to be exact. The Silverlake shop is small, but there are seats so you can enjoy your donuts with some coffee while admiring the fun bunny mural from street artist Bunnie Reiss!

Donut Farm's donuts are not only vegan, they are also 100% organic. They have both raised and cake donuts with a variety of interesting flavors and fillings - and did I mention, they were delicious??

One of my favorites was the Philz Coffee glazed donut. Donut Farm also serves coffee (hot and cold brew) so you can double the caffeine.

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The Best Tiramisu in Venice, Italy: I Tre Mercanti

I love tiramisu. I've loved tiramisu ever since I can remember having eaten tiramisu. Tiramisu is supposedly invented in 1969 in Treviso, near Venice, so I figured being in Venice got me close enough to hunt for a great one. An online search turned up I Tre Mercanti as a potential contender.

This cute little shop sells tiramisu, macarons, wines, olive oils and other sundries.

But of course, I'm here for the tiramisu. Multiple tiramisus, in fact. I Tre Mercanti has many flavors of tiramisu, from the classic (coffee), mango, amaretto, pistachio. They claim that they make them fresh every hour, and when they do you can actually see the action through the window.

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Hunting for the Best Shave Ice in Kauai

Summer. Hawaii. What could be better on those hot days on the island than Hawaiian shaved ice?? I was in Kauai for a total of 5 days and I tried one shave ice per day.

My first stop was the town of Kapaa on the drive up to the North Shore.

Ono Ono Shave Ice
4-1292 Kuhio Hwy, Kapaa

My first stop was a great stop. The portion is huuge and the texture of the shave ice is so fluffy and airy! I got the tropical flavors with a snow cap and it certainly satisfied my craving for shave ice. A shack tucked around the corner of a strip mall, this feels like the quintessential Hawaiian shave ice spot.

The Fresh Shave
3540 Koloa Road, Lawai

This vintage trailer doles out healthier and fun versions of shave ice with syrup made with all natural and fresh ingredients and no high fructose corn syrup. Other than the usual fruit syrups they also offer flavor combos like chai or a cold brew coffee with cream, or a coconut flavor topped with chia seeds. Hipster shave ice! The menu changes regularly and they want you to refer to Instagram for the latest. They're only open Wed-Sat from 11am-3pm but they do run out of popular flavors, so come early to get your pick. This is definitely worth a try, especially if you're getting tired of the usual type of shave ice.

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Union Square Donuts (Somerville, MA)

Happy National Donut Day! On this day, I thought I'd share with you my favorite donut shop in Boston ... Union Square Donuts! Now at their new storefront in Somerville, you can find these wonderful fluffy donuts along with Counter Culture coffee every day until 1 pm (later on the weekends).

The flavor that made me fall in love with Union Square the first time is the Sea Salted Bourbon Caramel.

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Five Sweet Stops in Phoenix, AZ

When you live in a city that gets a hot as Phoenix and Scottsdale do, great dessert places are a must. Ice creams, soft serves, donuts ... I was quite impressed at the desserts I ate while I was in Phoenix on my last trip! Some of the flavors are very adventurous, some more than what I'm finding in Boston. Here are the five top spots for sweets and desserts in the Phoenix area:

1. Churn

The list of great ice cream shops in Phoenix goes on and on, but you must stop at Churn. Churn is known for their ice cream sandwiches, with deliciously gooey cookies and creamy, freshly churned ice creams. You can also get a scoop of ice cream and a half cookie as a topping. I had the Vietnamese coffee and Hangover Helper (a whiskey ice cream) topped with half a salted chocolate chip cookie. You can get two different cookies for your ice cream sandwiches, too!


5223 N Central Ave
Phoenix, AZ 85012


2. Rollover Donuts (also at Short Leash Hot Dogs)

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Creamistry: Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream

by: guest blogger @btsunoda

What? Made to order liquid nitrogen ice cream? Yep. Creamistry is a new and innovative ice cream shop where ice cream is made-to-order from liquid nitrogen before your very eyes!

Ingredients are mixed in front of you and then a blast of liquid nitrogen is applied to the mixture to instantly create ice cream! If you haven’t seen it before, it’s quite the experience, especially for children.
 
Their ‘Creamologist’ utilizes over 50 premium ingredients to prepare customized handcrafted ice cream, including Straus cream with organic and non-GMO soy options. There are 10 signature flavors to choose from: including vanilla bean with candied bacon, salted caramel, chocolate hazelnut and an array of Asian-inspired flavors such as Thai iced tea, red-bean, matcha green tea and avocado (made from fresh Haas avocados).

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Gelato, Gelato-Filled Macarons at Amarino (Boston, MA)

A new gelato shop has landed in Back Bay. Amorino is a chain started by two Italians - but first launched in Paris - that's making its way around the US. They use a special spatula to scoop your ice cream and promises to let you choose as many flavors as you like, no matter what size you buy. Even all 16 if you want.

The gelato itself was very good. I tried a bunch and really liked the chocolate (rich and dark, just the way I like it), salted caramel, and the mango sorbet. You can definitely taste that they use real mangoes.

They also have macarons, but not your run-off-the-mill maracons. They're filled with gelato!

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Single Origin Hot Chocolates and Desserts at LA Burdick (Cambridge, MA)

Even though I'm not sure who decides on these national food holidays, since it's National Hot Chocolate Day, I thought I'd write about Boston's most popular hot chocolate spot, LA Burdick near Harvard Square in Cambridge.

Other than their house signature hot dark chocolate, I also like LA Burdick because they serve single source/ single origin hot chocolates! When I went they had two different ones from Grenada and Ecuador.

I tried the Ecuador one, described to have "notes of black tea, cinnamon and earthy flavors ... robust ... with a very long finish". It was quite intense but I loved it, although I still had a hard time deciding if I liked the signature one better.

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L'Amande Bakery: A Little Parisian Haven in Beverly Hills

On Santa Monica Blvd in Beverly Hills is a charming bakery called L'Amande. What looks like a normal storefront from the outside leads into a bright and lovely space. High ceiling, spacious, charming decor.

Now, the baked goods themselves. I think this bakery makes one of the baguettes in town. They make them throughout the day so you can always get one still fresh and warm from the oven!


I couldn't stop eating these baguettes. I got one fresh from the oven and it was perfect. The only baguette that might be better in town is the one Chef Ludo uses at Petit Trois, but you can't really buy those retail. As far as baguettes that you can just go and buy whenever you want, these may be some of the best in town.

As far as other baked goods go, one of their signature items is the Raspberry cream cheese croissant

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Panini Lunch at CiBOTECA (Santa Monica)

I'm always looking for places near Toyota Santa Monica to kill time whenever I take my car in (since that Toyota location has no wi-fi). During my last service, I walked over to Broadway to the new-ish CiBOTECA, a cafe and marketplace that serves paninis, cold deli items, and desserts.

I tried two different paninis, starting from the Cotoletta (Veal Milanese, dijon mustard, shaved parmesan, mizuna, $9)

Crispy veal cutlet between crunchy toasted seed bread!

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Fred 62: Beyond a 24 Hour Diner

The list you always need to remember is the list of late night eateries. Better yet, 24 hour ones! If you're in Los Feliz and looking for a late night diner, look no further than Fred 62, which is open 24 hours and serves much better and much more interesting food than your typical diners.

You can even get something healthier and lighter like this Asian inspired noodle soup dubbed "Noo Deli" ($9): vermicelli noodles, "Thai town vegetables", spicy lemongrass broth, sriracha, peanuts, hoisin sauce, cilantro, green onion

Although I'm usually skeptical about ordering something like this at a diner, the manager told us this is what he eats all the time, so we tried it. Indeed, it was a very comforting, if a little spicy, bowl of noodle soup with fresh vegetables and tons of great flavors.

Not all of Fred 62's menu is available 24 hours but lucky for you, the Noo Deli is. Fred 62's version of Farm to Table is a play of TV dinners, with menu items called The Partridge Family, The Lisa Simpson, etc. The TV dinners are available from 5-10pm daily.

I got the Lisa Simpson ($13), which is naturally vegetarian: tajine tofu scramble, Moroccan tomato sauce, chickpea fritters, green olive tapenade, couscous

This is another healthy alternative and we couldn't get enough of the chickpea fritters!

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Top 12 Bakeries and Vegetarian-Friendly Restaurants in LA

Foodie.com has asked me to curate even more "collections" of my favorite places in LA, and I decided to create 4 more lists! Here are two of them:

I have a sweet tooth so I asked if I can create one with bakeries! Here are my 12 favorite bakeries in the Los Angeles area, from where to get cakes to baguettes to cream puffs.


I'm not a vegetarian but I do like to eat healthy sometimes, especially after a week of indulgent meals. Here are my top 12 vegetarian-friendly restaurants - some of which are vegetarian or vegan, some of which are not but simply serve amazing vegetarian dishes.

Delicious Cookies For All (Vegan and Gluten Free, Too!) With DeLuscious Cookies + Milk

If you've been reading this blog you'd know that I'm clearly not vegetarian, nor gluten intolerant, but that doesn't mean I won't try them. I've heard a lot of good things about DeLuscious cookies, and they offered to send me samples of their new line of vegan and gluten-free cookies. At first I mainly accepted so I can try their original cookies as well, but boy was I surprised when I tried their vegan and gluten free cookies!

They not only have vegan cookies and gluten free cookies but also a chocolate chip cookies that are both vegan and gluten-free.

Surprisingly, my favorite might have been the vegan chocolate chip!

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$45 4-Course Menu at Scarpetta, Every Day

Were you excited about Scarpetta's $45 DineLA menu? Are you bummed you missed it? If you answer yes to either of those, you might want to know that Scarpetta's had a $45 4-course prix fixe menu for a while now and is continuing it after DineLA.

I'll say it again: you can get a 4 course meal at Scarpetta for $45 any day.

All meals start with a bread basket that many consider to be the best in LA. Do try the Stromboli (they have a vegetarian version with broccolini which is equally delicious).

Now, on to the prix fixe menu. There are two options for each course, which will change seasonally. When I went last month the first course option included:

Tuscan Kale, red quinoa, medjool dates, and pecorino romano

It's hard to beat a well done kale salad, and this is definitely one of them.

The other options is a Braised Short Rib of Beef, vegetable, and farro risotto

It's certainly a heavier appetizer, but they were both good and will satisfy whichever mood you're in.

The second course is the pasta, or "Paste":
Spinach Pappardelle, housemade duck sausage ragu, morel mushrooms, and ramps

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Get Spooked: Halloween Dessert Specials Around Town

While Halloween is not traditionally associated with dining out, some LA restaurants are getting creative with their dessert offerings. Eye ball cakes, worms, and chocolate and cocktail offerings are among the few things you can find. Here are some of the more fun ones:

At Cecconi's, diners can sip the new fall cocktails (or wine, if preferred), paired with five seasonal truffles from Compartes’ Chocolatier Jonathan Grahm. The tasting is available from 7-10 p.m. at Cecconi’s so guests can get their treats pre or post dinner. Guests can reserve their space for $25 prior, or purchase the tasting for $30 the day of. For reservations and more information call (310) 432-2000

Public Kitchen & Bar, located at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, is offering ghostly treats that replicate human body parts (a sight not for the weak!).
Executive Chef Tim Goodell has created eyeball cakes and “finger” cookies that literally look like the real thing. Pumpkin pies are topped with frozen shards of spiced foam.

I tried some of the eye ball cake pops myself and was quite impressed with how they looked!

Kerry Simon’s LA Market Restaurant at the JW
Marriott hotel, is transforming their Junk Food Platter into a sweet
and spooky version of the dessert. The creepy candy wonderland includes
orange and purple coconut snowballs, bat and mummy cake pops, pumpkin-shaped Rice Krispies treats, frosted brownies with worms, candy corn, and caramel
corn parfait.

A Tour and Many Tastes of King's Hawaiian Bakery

King's Hawaiian Bakery was started by Robert Taira, the father of the current president, Mark, first as a stand alone bakery in Hawaii in Hilo in 1956. The family then moved to Honolulu and opened up the bakery on King Street. All the family worked at the bakery and tourists were buying them as souvenirs. The round bread was the number 1 fundraising item on the island. Mark's grandma then had the great idea of starting a mail order service and demand for King's Hawaiian bread kept growing into what it is now - a big factory in Torrance, California where they still produce bread with Robert's original recipe.

I was invited to tour the factory recently, and of course I'm not going to say no to such an opportunity!

Part of this tour involved some confidential information like the machines they use etc so not many pictures, sorry! But I was surprised at what a big operation this really was, from machines that cut and knead the dough to packaging it. The end of the line was a favorite, of course, with the smell of butter and fresh baked bread wafting in the air.

Of course, the best part was probably trying the rolls fresh off the line (we got the wheat rolls), just with butter! Can't beat this.

After the tour, we went out to their back lot for lunch! They've called in some of LA's best food trucks that serves or uses King's Hawaiian products, along with a whole spread of their own desserts. Mark's daughter Courtney experiments with different recipe using the bread in the factory kitchen including things like white chocolate chip bread pudding and garlic cheese bread. Some of the desserts we had are served at their restaurant, and also their newer fast casual restaurant, The Local Place. The Tres Leches cake and the bread pudding was my favorite.

I immediately went for Lobsta Truck's lobster roll, which is served on toasted King's Hawaiian sweet hot dog bun! I've always loved their lobster roll!

The Kogi Truck does their sliders using King's Hawaiian sweet dinner rolls. Both their short rib and tofu sliders were crowd favorites.

Buttermilk Truck's French Toast sticks also uses King's Hawaiian bread.

Ludo Truck serves their fried chicken with the dinner roll.

When we left, they told us they had a parting gift for us. I was expecting a bag, maybe one or two packages of their bread. But noooo. This is the Aloha spirit after all! Our parting gift was a huge box of goodies, so big that I needed help carrying it to the car! Enough bread to last me months, coffee, cookies, apron, gift card, etc ... Jealous? I bet. Want one? They're actually giving away a box to one of my readers too! The contents won't be exactly the same but you can be sure they will be as generous. Check back tomorrow for a new post for the giveaway! :)

My Vienna: An Austrian Gelato Cafe in Beverly Hills

My Vienna invokes an Austrian gelato cafe in the middle of Beverly Hills. Austrian former pro-tennis player Spin Mylnarik learnt the ropes of gelato making from a master in Austria for his wife, who loved the gelato she had in Europe.

Don't you also want a hot pro-athlete to learn how to make gelato and open up a cafe for you?

Here, you won't sit down with your gelato in paper cups. The gelato is properly served in tin cups with a glass of water. All paper cups are strictly for to-go orders only - that is, you'd have to leave the premises with it. He aspires to the cafes in Europe where people spend time sitting down and enjoying their gelato.

The gelato itself is excellent. The Nocchilone (chocolate hazelnut) is a bestseller here, and the European Cookies flavor is the staff favorite. I also like the fruit sorbets, especially the cantaloupe. In fact, I thought the gelato was so good that I had to get a whole styrofoam container to go (you can get 4 flavors to go for $14).

The coffee and teas served here are strictly Austrian.

Sacher Torte and Austrian pastries are made in-house, and gelato cakes are available with special order.

During lunch you can get salad, sandwich, and a small gelato for $10.95. There's a lot of metered parking in the back (which is free after 6pm).

My Vienna Gelato and Coffee
9461 S Santa Monica Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 246-0359
http://www.myviennagelato.com