The drought has been so bad here in LA the past few years, but we’ve finally gotten some rain this last week, and I’ve been welcoming it. I love any excuse to bust out my pink Hunter boots!
I was so excited for us to finally be home and unscheduled on a Sunday so we could go eat at Smorgasburg. I love food trucks and food halls and all delicious food, so I was seriously jazzed to get my fat little fingers into all the yummy offerings.
During the week, this space is the wholesale produce market, so I’ve been before when shopping for jamming or a pie party. Then, it’s been crowded with crates of produce, but I’ve never seen this many people at the Bay before.
We were hungry, so we beelined for a legendary ramen cheesburger. It was INCREDIBLE- crispy and chewy and savory and it honestly disappeared in just a few bites and I was sad I had to share it with David and contemplated getting right back in line for a second round. It totally lived up to the talk.
We moved on to artisan mozzarella sticks and that was a very good life choice. We skipped the beer garden, because I had left my ID in my purse from the night before. I wasn’t brokenhearted, because I’m not a beer lover and David was driving, so I wandered off to do a little shopping.
I was pleasantly surprised at the caliber of the shops – there is obviously an application process, because all the vendors were diverse and quality. I went in for sunnies and caftans at Coast to Coast vintage, and eyed this holo swell for quite a while at beautiful things.
Another sandwich round was up next for us, with a pork belly Banh Oui. I know fusion isn’t perfectly authentic, but this was one of the best pork belly sandwiches I’ve ever had, perfectly balanced and so mouthwatering!
As we moved on to sweets, I had to go full out for the coconut bowl at Amazebowls. It was super gorgeous, but if i’m being honest I make tastier ones – some of the edible flowers were super bitter. And it was pretty tiny for the price, so I might hack these at home soon.
I chose blackberry kaffir lime at Paloma’s Paleta’s, and it was both super delicious and very photogenic- and super refreshing, because it was so. freaking. hot. out there.
There’s a ton we didn’t get to eat, but we’ll be back soon, probably right after our next NYC trip! And I’m eyeing the soft shell chili crab sandwich, some biscuits, and a ramen burger repeat. So much goodness- if I wouldn’t outgrow my clothes, I’d go every Sunday!
similar dress, 2, 3 (with tassels!), 4 (patterned), || sunnies || kate spade bag- on sale!|| sandals || ear jackets|| cuff || rings: pearl, spiral || nails
loveRavayna
I am such a sucker for something sweet- I swear I could eat desserts all day long. And if delicious treats are prettily displayed in a lovely location, I’m smitten. That’s how I’ve felt about Bottega Louie since the first time I stopped by.
Now we go often- sometimes I just grab goodies to go, but it’s also perfect for brunch with girlfriends or almost any occasion. It’s so gorgeous there! David and I stopped in for an afternoon pick-me up after a full day of errands downtown.
I always want to take home so many treats. Their chocolates are luscious and their pastrywork is exquisite as well as stunningly gorgeous. But I would go broke in there without serious willpower, so I have to keep it to just a few.
Macarons are one of my favorite pastries, and while nothing will ever equal Pierre Herme for me, Bottega Louie’s are delish and beautiful. I love the gold flake accent on the earl grey, and the fresh strawberry is especially yummy when they are in season (like now).
After leaving Bottega Louie, we headed to the Standard for a spontaneous happy hour with friends visiting from Ohio. I got distracted by the organ and shinyness at first, but we made it up to the rooftop eventually. And when we did, the cocktails and company were both on point.
Vintage dress (similar and under $2o!), Zara kids flats (similar), Kate Spade purse (similar), Rifle Paper Company iPhone case, Charming Charlie earrings, Kendra Scott bracelet, Forever 21 sunglasses.
loveRavayna
Over a dozen years after we first got together, I still take dating my husband pretty seriously. What I mean is that I love claiming a mutually free chunk of time and declaring it a date! Let’s be real- I’ll buy into any excuse to get a bit fun or fancy, eat good food, and steal smooches. While I was on the road this summer, I had long-term major cravings for tsukemen (dip) ramen. The best in the city is hands down at Tsujita LA– my mouth is watering just thinking about it. Since I’ve dragged David all the way across the city for several recent dates, I wanted to share our typical Sawtelle Japantown date with you.
The crowd at Tsujita can be insane, so we try to go at off hours. If the wait is still long, I kill time by crossing the street to shop at Daiso or browsing Asian skincare and beauty products at Make Asobi. (Much, much more on my Asian skincare routine coming soon.) Fortunately, service is brisk once seated and food arrives before I get hangry.
I always, always get char siu tsukemen. Other menu items are yummy, but that is my spicy savory dream. And romance goes out the window when this ramen is in the picture- I won’t even share it with David! It’s too delicious to let away from my greedy little fingers- to have and to hold, but get your own bowl.
The same goes for dessert. I’m significantly more interested in any outing that involves sweets of some sort, and Blockheads Shavery is just around the corner. They serve snow cream there, ice cream shaved off big blocks into light fluffy frozen deliciousness.
I love treats of all kind, but especially get excited about more unusual, less-sweet flavors. At Blockheads, I dress my black sesame snow cream with red beans, rice cakes, and condensed milk, and am a happy piggie. David likes his dessert properly sweet, so he covers his coffee malt snow cream with brownies, fudge, and sliced almonds.
With full bellies and full hearts, we head off into the sunset… And by that I mean head off to sit in traffic on the way home. LA traffic is perpetually blech, but it’s more pleasant when your sweet husband is driving you home after a date. I’ll take what I can get!
dress SheIn | ballet flats Zara kids similar | Kate Spade purse | earrings, aviators Charming Charlie | bracelet Hadaya bracelet One of a Kind
loveRavayna