I absolutely love Pasadena. I find it quaint with some fun shopping areas and great food. Also, let's talk about how they have an 85degrees now! I also got my wedding dress there so it holds a bit of nostalgia for me. 

Willy and I recently stopped by to try out Paul Martin's American Grill. I had little expectations because American cuisine doesn't rank at the top of my favorites. I was pleasantly surprised by not only the restaurant itself, but by how good some of the items were!

TOWN DOCK CALAMARI ($15)

rhode islands premium, lightly breaded, chili aioli, house cocktail sauce

We started our meal off with one of my personal favorite appetizers, calamari. I feel like if a restaurant butchers calamari, then it says a lot about how the rest of my meal is going to go. Thankfully, this was delicious and the two dipping sauces were perfect. I love me cocktail sauce but the creamy aioli breaks it up. 

COLUMBIA RIVER STEELHEAD SANDWICH ($15) grilled salmon, arugula, housemade pesto aioli

SUNDAY PRIME RIB ($33) field green salad, hand cut prime rib, mashed potatoes

"BRICK" CHICKEN ($23) free range chicken, mashed potatoes, za'atar croutons, herb jus

MAC N CHEESE ($7) tillamook 2 yr aged white cheddar, La Quercia prosciuttto

PAN ROASTED CAULIFLOWER ($6) garlic confit, lemon, fresh parmesan

My absolute favorite dish was the BRICK chicken. The chicken was delicious and tender and the saucey croutons made for a perfect bite. I don't tend to order Prime Rib so I'm not sure if me taking photos made the food cold or if it was served that way? Flavor wise it was good but no match for my chicken!

THREE MUSHROOM VEGGIE BURGER ($14) vegetarian mushroom patty, dressed arugula, fresh pesto aioli

By far, the best veggie burger I've had in a while. I love mushrooms and this patty is basically just an explosion of yummy mushrooms. Definitely check it out if you get a chance!

xo, Jenny

In February of this year, Paris Baguette opened one of it's 2700 doors in my beloved SFV. This new location features their delicious drinks, signature cakes and pastries, and hot + cold sandwiches. The best part is it's a 10 minute drive from me, AND on my way to work. Bonus!

How beautiful are all my pastries together? Here's the roundup:

Strawberry Pastry
Chocolate Hazelnut Croissant Muffin
Cocossant
Mini Fruit Bite
Nutella Hand Pie
Raspberry Croissant Donut
Strawberry Bomb Donut
Cream Cheese Heaven
Chocolate Raspberry Pastry
Almond Strawberry Croissant

The thirst was real after all those pastries. We sipped on: Peach Iced Tea, Green Tea Iced Latte, Caramel Latte, Horchata Smoothie, + Organic Mango Smoothie. My favorite was for sure the Green Tea & Mango Smoothie. So good!

Nothing is complete without a savory element. They have both hot + cold options. I definitely favor hot sandwiches but the Chicken Salad Sandwich gave me a run for my money. Another delicious option was the Chicken Pesto Sandwich which they warmed up for me. Yum!

What are your favorite items from Paris Paguette? 

Top from Zara; Loafers from Sam Edelman

xo, Jenny

Astro Doughnuts opens it's first West Coast store in Los Angeles and already is a raging success. I sampled half a dozen donuts, a basket of chicken tenders, and a fried chicken sandwich. Overall thoughts? DELICIOUS. 

Astro changes their donut flavors seasonally. When I went, they had Lemon, Strawberry Rhubarb, Glazed, Maple Bacon, Mudslide & Peanut Butter Jelly. Lemon & Peanut Butter Jelly were my faves!

The Fried Chicken Sandwich was absolutely delicious and sandwiched between donut buns. A far fry from the overly sweet donut buns you're probalby used to, these were not glazed and therefore a perfct match for the fried chicken. 

Astro Donuts / 516 W 6th St, Los Angeles, CA 90014

Happy donuting!

xo, Jenny

This year's Masters of Taste was a perfect combination of luxurious food & beverage vendors. I was lucky enough to sample all of my favorites an hour before the rain came down, HARD! 

“100% of event proceeds benefit Union Station Homeless Services, a 501(c)(3) organization helping homeless adults and families rebuild their lives.”

— https://mastersoftastela.com/masters-of-taste/

Some of my favorite vendors:

Bone Kettle / 67 North Raymond Ave Pasadena, CA 91103

Hoke Poke / 801 S. Hope St Los Angeles, CA 90017

Kato / 11925 Santa Monica Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90025

Venice Whaler / 10 W Washington Blvd Venice, CA 90292

Belly Bombz / 11824 Artesia Blvd. Artesia, CA 90701

Milk + Honey / 2981 Bristol St Ste B6 Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Hamasuku / 11043 Santa Monica Blvd  Los Angeles, CA 90025

Dirty Cookie / 2493 Park Ave Tustin, California 92782

Food with a cause is something I can definitely get on board with. As a food blogger, I have the incredible good fortune of eating delicious food regularly. It's important to remember that there are people far less fortunate. When restaurants and causes give back, it means a lot to me. 

xo, Jenny