Thank you Pascal for many yummy memories...

It's bittersweet to say goodbye to one of our favorite restaurants in Orange County... but it's nice to know that Chef Pascal will be enjoying his semi-retirement. I guess if we're missing his bouillabaisse or soup al' oignon, we'll just have to make it to one of his wine dinners at the Epicerie.

Thanks for making our Valentine's Day dinner so yummy and enjoyable! 

As you can see, we went all out and nearly had to be rolled outta the restaurant... hello gluttony :) 

Sauteed Foie Gras 

Sauteed Strawberries in a Balsamic Reduction

Escargot Cassolette "Christine"

Toasted Pine Nuts and Garlic Butter

Soup al' Oignon "Pascaline"

Bouillabaisse "Provencal"

Thyme-Crusted Sea Bass

Seafood Chardonnay Sauce on a Tomato Concasse

Cheesecake Souffle 

The Luggage Room

I first created this blog to write about all the foods I ate - which is ALOT. But with life getting busier, my metabolism getting slower, and my passion for cooking getting crazier... I need to draw the line somewhere. So I've decided to only blog about neighborhood finds... the mom and pop stores, non-Michelin rated, just plain old honest and true cooking. Hopefully along the way, I'll find some that will keep me wanting to go back for more :)

With that said... there has been a neighborhood haunt that I've gone to at least once per week for the last month! Really - it's rare that I go to a restaurant that often. I've gone to The Luggage Room in Pasadena more in the last month than I have at the gym (but I guess that's not saying much). 

The Luggage Room is adjacent to the La Grande Orange Cafe, at the metro station in Pasadena. Since the opening of Pizzeria Mozza, Angelenos have compared each pizzeria to the Mozza standard. At long last, I think they have found a match... and it's on the east side of town!

Dining Room with Large Communal Bar

 The Luggage Room doesn't have a big dining room and they don't take reservations. I've been there on both weekdays and weekends and it's safe to say that you'll be waiting for a seat by 7pm. However, there's a nice courtyard outside, as well as benches, that people hang out at with their cocktails or glasses of wine as they mingle and wait for their seats. BTW, it's free corkage for the 1st bottle (SCORE!).

Green Day Salad
- $10 -

 Lots of arugula, spring mix, with caramelized apricots and pomegranate seeds, tossed in a sweet and slightly tangy balsamic vinaigrette. The salad is yummy especially if you like sweeter dressings like me. The last time I went and ordered the Green Day Salad, they switched out the pomegranate seeds for grapefruit. Not a huge fan of grapefruit... so I hope the lack of pomegranate seeds is only temporary. But if sweet dressing is not your thing, then you'll like the Chopped Salad instead.

Brussel Sprouts Bacon Pizza
- $17 -

 One of the specials that day was the Brussel Sprouts Bacon pizza. Right... I know what you're thinking... brussel sprouts on a pizza???!!! Just wanna say - don't diss it until you've tried it. The brussel sprouts were caramelized and the bacon was loaded on. It reminded me of Thanksgiving in a pizza :) The pizza crust was thin, but still held the toppings well. The crust had a sour dough taste to it... soft and chewy - yum!

The Padre
- $17 -

What can I say about the Padre pizza... besides the fact that I've ordered it nearly every time I have been there. The pizza is a combination of caramelized figs, prosciutto, arugula, and blue cheese. The sweet and savory melds perfectly together here, and the arugula adds just a tad of bitterness. The blue cheese they use is quite strong and I've had some bites where the blue cheese overwhelmed all the other flavors of the pizza. I think next time I get it, I'll ask them to go easy on the blue cheese.

Red Velvet Cake
- $8 -

 Aside from macarons, my new obsession is red velvet. I don't think I have had a better red velvet at a restaurant than here... the cake is made up of 6 layers of red velvet cake, with cream cheese frosting between each of the layers. It's moist and not overly sweet... a decadent piece of heaven with each bite :)

I love the Luggage Room. The staff are friendly and the vibe is low key trendy. Trendy enough for a date, but low key enough for family and kids. I'll definitely be coming back ... it's been a long while since a new restaurant in Pasadena made me this excited.

The Luggage Room

260 S. Raymond Avenue

Pasadena, CA 91105

Long Time No Post

It's been a very long time since I've posted... 6 whole months. Shame on me. It seems like the last 6 months have come and gone like a whirlwind. Too much work and too little fun. Part of the reason why I haven't posted so much was my grand idea to make everyone scarves for Xmas. Knitting and crocheting takes a long time... so rather than blogging, I sat on my couch, wrapped in a blanket (think grandma), knitting and crocheting away. Now that scarf making is over, I can finally start blogging (and munchin') again =)

Jin Patisserie

Ah... how I adore macarons. I still remember my first macaron was from La Boulange Bakery from San Francisco several years ago and I instantly fell in love with it. I've searched near and far for macarons in the LA area (Paulette's is my next stop!) and have been utterly disappointed. Rumor has it that Bottega Louie and Euro Pane serve some great macarons - LIES! When I was about to give up looking for delish macarons in LA, a pastry chef recommended Jin Patisserie. While I like food recommendations from others... obviously it adds alot more weight when it comes from a chef. So I trekked all the way to Venice one weekend for some macarons and afternoon tea.

Located in a renovated cottage home on Abbot Kinney in Venice, Jin Patisserie serves light lunches, desserts, tea, and MACARONS in a small intimate courtyard.

Box of Macarons

My box of macarons... flavors from left to right (hopefully I remembered them correctly): yuzu (tart citrus fruit), hazelnut, pistachio, strawberry, rose, salted caramel, raspberry, green tea. My faves were the yuzu and salted caramel. After biting into the crunchy crust, the center was soft and chewy with a buttercream filling... it wasn't too sweet and the flavor combinations complemented each other very well - simply divine! So delish that we finished the entire box right there. I think I was in heaven for a bit... 

- $12 -

Afternoon Tea

The afternoon tea was somewhat of a disappointment. Not that it was bad, but with the caliber of the macarons, I really thought the tea set will be better. The egg sandwich was good... not too heavy, but I missed my cucumber sandwiches. The orange scones were a bit too fluffy for my taste- I like my scones the traditional way with more butter and a bit denser. However, the blackberry preserves were quite excellent. The tiny mushroom spinach quiche was a tad too oily for me as was the pound cake. Of the three other mini cakes served (chocolate mousse with a rice krispies crust, mango, raspberry), the chocolate mousse definitely hit it out of the ballpark! Silky dark chocolate on a crunchy chocolate rice krispies crust- who would have thought of using rice krispies as a crust!  

- $19 -

Jin Patisserie is such a gem - well, at least their macarons are! Why must it be so far away? 

Jin Patisserie

1202 Abbot Kinney Blvd.

Venice, CA 90291

(310) 399-8801

Blackmarket Bakery

I have heard of Blackmarket Bakery for some time, but never got around to looking for it till this last week. And "looking" is right... because it is hidden amongst industrial office buildings a block from John Wayne Airport.

A tiny side door opens up to Blackmarket Bakery. Not a typical bakery- all the baked goods are displayed on a table and wall shelves, rather than a display case. It felt like walking through a baker's gift shop... with hidden gems surfacing with each sniff.

Reviews said the chocolate croissants were must haves, but they ran out. Other flavors were almond and berry cream cheese... but I wanted the chocolate one! So next time. Other treats included homemade marshmallows (never seen these before! mental note: must grab a bag next time), alien-looking sugar cookies, wine flour brownies, bars, assorted coffee and pound cakes, shortbreads, scones, and wine flour goodies. That's right... you heard me right- wine flour! I've never heard of it until Blackmarket Bakery too... it's made from grape seed and skins after vineyards have crushed the grapes for wine. Not surprisingly, wine flour has a dark burgundy purple color to it and smells like fermented bread. Blackmarket sells plain wine flour and a variety of wine flour products - focaccia, pasta, croutons. I can't wait to try the wine flour to make my own pasta :)

 Decided to try a few goodies (as if I can leave a bakery with just one thing!)... Currant and Cherry Cabernet Brownie, Blackberry Almond Coffeecake, and Florentine Bar. 

I chose the Currant and Cherry brownie made with wine flour because the dark chocolate brownie sounded way too rich. But the currant brownie was still too sweet for my taste. The brownie was rich and dense- not what my bite of brownie. I prefer my brownies with more cake and texture to it... this brownie tasted more like ganache with chunks of currant and cherries. However, the wine flour added a subtle hint of earthiness to the brownie that was surprising and original.

- $3 -

The blackberry almond coffeecake was moist, slightly sweet, and had whole blackberries in it. After I finished the cake, I thought it was a blackberry almond pound cake. Since it was a coffeecake, I expected more cinnamon and spices. But nonetheless, it was good!

- $6 -

The best thing from Blackmarket was the Florentine Bar... thick layer of toasted sliced almonds, mixed with honey, cranberries, eggs, and tiny bits of candied ginger to give it a lil' kick... on top of a buttery short bread! Need I say more? I love the gooeyness on top and the crunch on the bottom. Double thumbs up on this one!

- $3 -

Blackmarket Bakery definitely has lots of potential. It's exciting to see a bakery be adventurous with the use of its ingredients. Hope they come up with other stellar treats like the Florentine Bar.

Blackmarket Bakery
17941 Sky Park Circle, Suite E
Irvine, CA 92614

Astro Karaoke

It was midnight on a Sunday night in Torrance and we just finished watching Sex and the City 2. So what do 3 gals do... of course we continue the celebration with cocktails! But it's Torrance... and aside from some ghetto dive bars, nearly every single decent bar was closed (because it's a Sunday) until we stumbled upon Astro Karaoke. 

Astro is located in the residential neighborhood of Lomita. It's a small, intimate, friendly local bar with a great wait staff. Don't let the name fool you... the large karaoke room is adjacent to the bar area and it's private. There must have been some good sound insulation, because I didn't notice the singing much at all.

Sake Cocktails - White Peach, Grape, Lychee

There were about a dozen different types of sake cocktails to choose from, but we only tried 3 (I know... shame on us!). All three of them were delicious, fruity, and refreshing. Not sure how much sake they put in there... but I could barely taste any alcohol in my white peach sakatini??? Not sure if it's a good thing to not taste the alcohol- because that just means next time I go, I wouldn't know when to stop. Hah!

Appetizer Sampler

A collection of Japanese pub fare: three types of dried squid (saki ika) and dried fish. Some were savory, some were sweet, but they were all charbroiled beforehand so when I munched on them, they were still slightly warm with a smoky flavor to them.

 Buffalo Wings

Pretty standard fare. Well cooked wings tossed with spicy buffalo sauce served with ranch dressing. I particularly liked that the wings were not overly greasy. Although I must say Hooters wings are still superior!


It's always a pleasant surprise to unexpectedly stumble upon little hidden gems... and it so happened late one night in Lomita. Go figure. Astro has a great friendly laid back atmosphere with superb cocktails that I can't wait to share with more friends in the future.

Astro Karaoke
2150 Lomita Blvd.
Lomita, CA 90717
(310) 530-4800

First and Hope

Chic with a reminiscence of 1950s glamour, First and Hope makes you feel special... with hostesses in ball gowns and waiters in suspenders serving you. The setting is simply picture Per-FECT!

There were complimentary house-made pimento cheese and saltines. They were ok... a fancied up version of those kraft cheese snacks that we all had when we were kids.

Amuse bouche: potato with garlic and chive sauce 

The amuse bouche was kinda simple, but the flavors were well balanced.

Fried soft shell crab with creamed corn and tomatoes

This was their special for the night and the dish was good, but a bit too oily. The sweet corn complemented the crab very well. However, I would have liked the crab fried a bit crispier. 

- $13 -

All-About-the-Cheese Mac & Cheese Flight

This was the best dish of the evening... three different types of mac-n-cheese: triple cream brie, aged goat cheese, and Cahill Porter. The presentation was beautiful as were the three generous portions of the mac-n-cheese. I loved how there were different tastes and intensities of the various cheeses. I suppose we should have eaten the macs from mild (brie) to intense (porter)... but since the porter was on my side, that was my first scoop and it was delish! Although the pasta could have been more al dente, the flavors were cheesy but not overwhelming. In front of each mac-n-cheese was a sample of the cheese used, so it was a mac-n-cheese flight + mini cheese plate. The honey that was served with the brie was out of this world!!! I will go back simply for the honey :)

 - $16 -

Moonshine Meatloaf 

I normally don't order meatloaf at a fancy restaurant... but since this was the first time I've seen foie gras mixed in with the chuck roast to make the meatloaf, I had to get it. Although  the foie gras added richness to the dish, the meatloaf was too fatty for my taste. If they used a leaner meat and made the meatloaf more moist, it would have been lighter and easier on the stomach. The combination of meat, foie gras, and bacon just was a overkill on the dish. We barely finished a third of the dish.

- $27-

Duck-duck-goose

As the name implies... two parts duck and one part goose (aka: foie gras). The dish was not bad, but once again, it was too oily. The best duck on the plate was the rich flavored duck leg confit. The seared foie gras on the duck confit was undercooked though. The grilled duck breast was moist, but the meat itself was rather bland. The sweet and savory skin of the duck breast was well balanced and yummy.

- $28-

One of the coolest things about First and Hope was the wine list. You can do your own pairings because you can choose from a decent selection of wines and decide whether you want a sip (1 oz.), taste (3 oz.), or glass (6 oz.) of it. The prices were reasonable as well. In the lounge area, there is a cool wine tasting machine. Think of it as Yogurtland gone to Napa... you buy credits on a card, and then you pick and choose (aka: self serve) what to taste and how much you want from the wine vending machine. I can't wait to try it out!

 Trendy Bar Scene

The food was decent at First and Hope... but the ambience, appetizers, and versatility with wine tasting make it a great place for happy hour or just to lounge with friends at the bar. I'll be back.

First and Hope

710 W. 1st St.

Los Angeles, CA 90012

(213) 617-8555

Pappa Rich

After dinner in Pasadena this last weekend, one of my friends convinced us to skip Gale's tiramisu to check out this new and upcoming dessert joint in Old Town Pasadena - Pappa Rich... the "King of Buns." For the folks familiar with Old Town, it's just across the street from Twin Palms (although Twin Palms just closed their doors) and adjacent to Buca de Beppo. And if you don't know the area, then you can google it. 

Since it's the "King of Buns," automatically I thought there will be tons of choices, like red bean buns or kimchi buns (FYI: Pappa Rich originated in Korea). But nope... only ONE type - butter.

Pappa Rich Bun

These buns are slightly crispy on the outside and warm and filled with some melted gooey butter on the inside. Appetizing - yes. Great - no. They were good, but I think any decent bread fresh out of the oven is good. If you go to some decent bakery and time it strategically to when the bread is fresh out of the oven, slap on some butter... that's what you pretty much get at Pappa Rich's.

- $3 -

Red Devil Cookie

Two small red devil cookies sandwiching cream cheese filling. Cookies were a bit dry and nothing special. Cream cheese icing was just plain sweet and gross. Overall, the cookie was disappointing.

- $2.75 -

Doubt I will be coming to Pappa Rich's again... "King of Buns" I think not.

Pappa Rich

100 W. Green St.

Pasadena, CA 91105 

Sabatino's

Lido Island is the quiet and tranquil neighbor of the bustling and often times crowded Balboa Island off the Newport Beach Coast. And that's also the reason why if you're not a local (or friends with a local), you probably haven't heard of Sabatino's. Sabatino's is tucked in a small alley way amid residential homes next to the Lido Shipyard.

 

There is seating both indoors and outdoors... but I highly recommend the outdoor patio on a nice breezy spring evening.

Complimentary bread with their yummy olive tapenade! Unlike most other tapenades out there, this one isn't all smashed up like a spread. There are chunks of green olives in there, with some peppers and onions. And the great thing is this tapenade isn't salty at all.

Italian Wedding Soup

It was kinda like an Italian version of Chinese Egg Drop Soup with mini meatballs. I liked it!

 

Baked Mastaccioli

Cheesy- check. Lots of yummy sweet and spicy Italian sausage- check. Sweet tomato sauce - check. The star of the show here is the sausage and the tomato sauce... sausage was lean and you can definitely taste the kick in the spicy sausage. But to my surprise, I really enjoyed the tomato sauce - it was both sweet and savory, which balanced out the sausages quite well.

-$16.95-