SoCal Roundup: Palm Springs & Los Angeles

To top off my SoCal trip, I also enjoyed some new places outside of Orange County:

Like Tinto-a Tapas restaurant by Jose Garces (winner of Iron Chef America!)

And Gjelina-a fabulous restaurant in Venice:

And topped with N'ice Cream!  I had the salted caramel, but next time I'm definitely getting the honey yogurt!

These were definitely more high-end than I normally partake in but I didn't want to miss out on the opportunities.  Worth it...

Pattern Bar

I am a sucker for a good cocktail, especially one with a catchy names like the ones at Pattern Bar where they're named after designers:

Come meet The Jacobs (Jack Daniel's honey, muddled strawberries, agave, apricot liquor, ginger ale):

I can't remember if this was the D Von Furstenberg (Overholt Rye, honey liquor, mint, and orange) or The Chanel (Hornitos Reposado, Grand Marnier, fresh cilantro, agave, serrano pepper, and lime)--but it was snappy:

The McQueen (Hendricks Gin, elderflower, fresh passion fruit):

The tapas here were quite enjoyable too.  I recommend La Pomme (slice fuji apple with blue cheese, candied walnuts, fruit, and honey):

And by the end of the night, I asked the bartender to come up with a Tom Ford:

It was a bourbon drink--strong, assertive, and would probably hate my clothes--sooo Tom Ford, amirite?

It's a nice friendly bar, with wonderful cocktails and tapas--I recommend it if you're in downtown LA.

Umami

Last night, I had an amazing meal at Umamicatessen with some friends up in LA. Where to start? How about some cocktails?

I can't remember the beer on the right, but that's a Velvet Mule (Beluga vodka, Velvet Falernum, lime juice, ginger beer, Angostura bitters) on the left, and my Red Sapphire (Bombay Sapphire gin, St. Vincent raspberry syrup, Earl Grey tea syrup, maraschino, lemon juice, egg white) front and center. Tasty, tasty, tasty.

I had the Earth Burger: mushroom and edamame patty, white soy aioli, truffled ricotta cheese, cipollini onions, butter lettuce, and slow roasted tomato.  Gorgeous.

And by far, the BEST vegetarian burger I have ever had.  So, so satisfying, so hearty, kind of how I remembered what eating a good burger was like.

We shared the truffle cheese fries, which were excellent.  One of my friends even managed to get a side of Brainnaise (a mayo featuring pig brain) to dip into as well:

This Truffle Beet Salad.  Featuring truffled ricotta, smoked almonds, wild baby arugula, truffle dressing, and golden beets.  To die for.  What an incredible mix of flavors.

And for dessert--donuts!  Totally loved this one featuring tres leches, cajeta, and ceylon cinnamon:

And this one featuring meyer lemon curd, yogurt glaze, and freeze-dried blueberries:

I HIGHLY recommend eating at Umamicatessen if you're near downtown Los Angeles.  I cannot wait to eat here again!

Also, around the corner is a parking lot that Banksy improved with some of his art:

And this is me photobombing when a friend was trying to take a picture of it: