Harry's Pizzeria -- Downtown NYC

On my last day at my awesome, year-long internship, my cool bosses treated me out to a lunch at a nearby restaurant. The chicken parm sandwich tasted delicious. It had cheese oozing out of the perfectly toasted, crunchy bread. The breaded chicken, wedged in-between the provolone and marinara sauce, gave the sandwich a crunchy texture that made this worth the money!

--Michelle

Urth Caffe -- Santa Monica, CA

Urth Caffe has several locations in L.A. My friend and I happened to visit the one in Santa Monica that day. When you visit the Santa Monica branch, be sure that you park your car in a space that does not require a permit. Also make sure that none of the parking signs are obscured by trees. The Santa Monica MeterMaid is neither kind nor forgiving.

Okay, back to Urth! What is that green goop in my mug, you ask? Moroccan Tea Latte. It tastes like green tea and cinnamon blended together. Isn't the decoration pretty?

Speaking of "pretty," Urth Caffe caters to Angelenos. It's typically a place to "star gaze"...except for the day I was there. Also, the Urth Caffe in Santa Monica is more relaxed than the other one I went to in West Hollywood. Maybe you'll have better luck when you try this place out!

http://www.urthcaffe.com/

http://www.urthcaffe.com/locations.html

-- Michelle

Yellow House Cafe

This coffee and tea place is cute. It is bright yellow on the outside. It looks like a garden inside.

Plus, there's a button on the wall that patrons press to call the waiters. A button! The good thing about this button on the wall is that waiters promptly arrive when you call them.

The waiters also come to the table when you don't press the button and arrive somewhat awkwardly at the table. Two minutes after Steph and I place our orders for a latte and Blueberry Jasmine tea, respectively, our endearing server shuffles to our table and asks, "What can I get for you?"

I stare blankly at him, confused, my eyes darting to that button on the wall.

"Oh, we didn't press the button," Steph clarifies.

Yellow House Cafe definitely pays attention to detail, from the button to menu to the comfy armchairs in the waiting room.

The address is 234 South Oxford Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90004. The website is http://www.theyellowhousecafe.com/main.html. Even the website is adorable.

Cacao Coffee House -- West LA

The images of Cacao don't do this coffee shop justice. It's a really cool place to read, study, or just chat with friends.

Which I did, very loudly, at 1 AM in a half-empty joint.

The employees are really chill and very friendly. Also cute! Therefore, this place comes highly recommended, especially since parking is not a problem in the early morning hours.

I enjoyed Cacao because of the ambience, not the actual drinks. I could have ordered something more potent than hot chocolate, but I didn't. I liked the artwork on the walls and the shabby-chic wooden tables.

My friend suggested the shop, and she's a coffee addict. I trust her taste. I couldn't have asked for more than a tasty hot chocolate and good conversation at 1 in the morning.

Want to see the place for yourself? Go to 11609 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025 or visit the website at http://cacaocoffeehouse.com/.

-- Michelle

Korean food with some of my favorite semi-Angelenos

A restaurant that caters to locals with a Korean name that is difficult to find on city streets is definitely worth experiencing. 2528 West Olympic Blvd. is in the heart of L.A.'s Koreatown. The waiters continually filled our teacups with delicious, ice-cold tea to balance the strong flavors in our dishes.

This restaurant is known for its pork and has a plaque to prove it. So, order the pork! We ordered three dishes, but our table was full with side dishes. Come to this restaurant hungry if you want a full dining experience!

-- Michelle

Milk -- West Hollywood, CA

If you have ever spent even a minute with my family, you know our lives revolve around food. In just one sunny morning in Los Angeles, we went to Bea Bea's, Portos, and Milk.

It's fun to drive around and sample different eateries. However, it's difficult to tease these places apart when I'm trying them out one after the other.

Milk supposedly serves milk that tastes really different from American milk. It's richer and creamier, as if it were from a European city or Hong Kong. I couldn't taste the difference, myself. However, that expensive glass of milk came in handy when I stuffed a molasses cookie in my mouth.

That was a bad idea. The molasses cookie should not have been devoured like a regular cookie because it was too sweet to be eaten all at once. My cousin said, "It tastes like Christmas in a cookie," and she was right. Part gingerbread, part sugar cookie, and part caramel, it was worth savoring slowly.

If you visit Milk and don't want to try the milk or the molasses cookie, there's also Blue Velvet Cake and different kinds of shakes. To save time before you go, check out your options online beforehand so that you don't waste time gawking at the choices in front of you when you show up in person. There are too many choices, so I would recommend researching before visiting.

Check out Milk at 7290 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036 or go to http://www.themilkshop.com/

Portos Bakery

Okay...I may have fibbed. Bea Bea's is a great brunch place -- but that doesn't stop me from grubbing afterward. :/

"You have to go to Portos!," my cousin insists while we're still at our table waiting for the brunch bill.

"Now? We just ate. What's Portos?"

"It's a pastry shop, and it's sooo good."

"But I'm really full."

"But you can get snacks for later."

"But I'll be eating again later, anyway."

"You can get some pastries to go, for your friends."

Thinking about how I arrived empty-handed at 2 AM to crash at Steph's apartment, I figured that might actually be a really good idea.

And, oh-my-goodness, it was.

Not only is Portos swanky-looking and scene-y, its pastries are unique and affordable. I walked in thinking I would end up paying a lot for a small box of pastries because Portos looks like a shop that would charge customers a lot for a little. I didn't purchase very much at all, but I definitely got more than I bargained for.

The rows of baked goods are simply overwhelming. Guava-cheese pastries, red velvet cupcakes and Florentine cookies stand out. Also, the servers are used to getting overwhelmed customers, so they patiently take their time with each person in line by letting them sample some pastries!

The servers don't rush the customers at all and make them feel as if their orders are really important. Despite this, the line still moves fluidly, and people still come into the shop no matter how busy it is. I wish every bakery was like Portos.

If you want to visit Portos, I would recommend not eating much beforehand. The address is 3614 West Magnolia Blvd., Burbank, CA. Check out the website here: http://www.portosbakery.com/content/portos-burbank

-- Michelle