I ♥ NY

I wrapped up the last week of summer with a jam-packed trip to New York with my boyfriend. Our trip was equal parts a city tour and a food tour - we overloaded on pizza and pastrami sandwiches, visited four museums, took in some of the most breathtaking city views, and got caught in an albeit romantic summer rainstorm. Here are just a handful of my favorite snapshots from my week in the Big Apple.

Art + Food

The highly underrated LA art scene: Herb Ritts' collection at the Getty is an absolute must-see for photography enthusiasts. Keep your eye out for my favorite photo - a black + white group portrait of the 90's supermodels in the nude.

Black Hogg on Sunset: The deep-fried green olives with lemon cream dipping sauce and deep-fried popcorn bacon with maple cream dipping sauce were both indulgent and delicious, but if you're stuck ordering between the two, go for the olives. The bacon overwhelmed my tastebuds (and arteries) after a couple bites. Meanwhile, the wild mushrooms on a brioche box was a tad too buttery for my liking. The sauce soaked through the entire brioche slice, making the bread slightly soggy. The flavor combination, however, worked perfectly.

Gelato Bar in Los Feliz: The best real pistachio 
gelato you'll ever try. No artificial flavors here.

I Am Fortified

"I Am Present" Bruschetta - toasted whole wheat
baguette, cashew mozzarella, roma tomatoes,
fig-balsamic dressing, fresh basil

Until recently, I had a volatile relationship with vegan food. I'd had one too many bad experiences that left a bitter taste in my mouth (literally). But after giving hipster mecca Café Gratitude a second shot, I feel like a whole new woman. I first heard about Café Gratitude from my yoga instructor who insisted that eating vegan was the way to go. My carb and cheese loving self was naturally skeptical, but Café Gratitude is the perfect place for transitioning vegans or anyone who wants to give vegan food a shot. Knowing what to order can be tough, so I suggest you take along a vegan friend or simply order one of the many delicious bowls. (The "I Am Gracious" is my favorite).

"I Am Fortified" - sautéed seasonal veggies and kale,
brown rice, quinoa, sesame garlic-tahini sauce.

The up-lifting and self-empowering menu: each item
 is named after an affirmation.  

Villa Blanca

My best friend and I started a new tradition this year. Instead of giving each other birthday gifts, we agreed to treat each other to a day of fun on our respective birthdays. So this year, we kicked off our new tradition by trekking every square inch of LA, getting lost, missing freeway exits, pampering our nails, and feasting on some of my favorite foods. One of our stops was at Villa Blanca, a charming dining room in Beverly Hills that serves the best calamari I've ever tasted. After stuffing ourselves, we headed over to La Provence for, what else, macarons.

Life-like and sparkly Bvlgari advertisement spotted in Beverly Hills on our way back from Villa Blanca.

Sugar Overload

I've been eating very healthy lately...

salted caramel. matcha green tea. rose. earl grey. violet.

red velvet pancakes at Larchmont Bungalow.

pear, Meyer lemon, pistachio pancakes with vanilla creme at Square One.

fancy chocolate from Koko.

My Favorite Place

The Mediterranean Sandwich is equal parts beautiful and delicious.

Favorite Place is living up to its name. I often frequent this lovely tea room with my sister for girly and refreshingly light lunches in a one-of-a-kind atmosphere. With impeccable service, delicious tea sandwiches and a relaxing mood, this place is perfect for lunch with the ladies. 

left to right, clockwise: a prominent display of tea sets and china makes you feel at home; their signature rosewater lemonade, a must-try; complementary lentil soup with a spicy kick; my favorite off the menu - the oriental chicken wrap

Cozy and comfy - With plush pillows and Frank Sinatra softly singing in the background, Favorite Place makes you feel like you're in mom's living room. 

This Cake is Bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S.

All you banana-haters out there must try this recipe! I hate throwing away overly-ripe bananas that are on the verge of attracting tiny fruit flies. So I'm always on the lookout for some innovative banana recipes because banana muffins and banana bread just aren't cutting it anymore. I was very pleased with how this amazingly moist and surprisingly cake-y (not dense bread-like) banana cake with cream cheese frosting turned out. The best part is I didn't even have to use a mixer. Also, I halved the recipe, but feel free to make a more traditional 2-layer cake with the full recipe.

 clockwise from top left: A touch of cinnamon added a nice subtle touch to the cake; the consistency of the batter was kind of odd and funky, but the mashed up bananas (I know it looks gross, but trust me on this one) loosened the batter up a bit; butter and flour the pan and the baked cake will pop right out.

chop chop: try adding the nuts into the batter next time!

I had to try really hard to not eat the frosting on its own. It's very tempting, but you must restrain yourself.

Isn't it beautiful?