The Griddle Cafe

How does one ever explain The Griddle Cafe? It's a kitschy, but necessary L.A. favorite. My first time there, I ran into LMFAO. Located right on the Sunset Strip (at Fairfax, I believe), its almost too easy to miss this tiny, breakfast-sugar establishment. But you never will, because the wait is always an hour long with a hungry crowd outside to prove it.

You have to approach the Griddle as a blood sugar challenge. If you are healthy, one meal there will bump you up to pre-diabetic. If you are pre-diabetic, you may not survive. For example, a famous dish at the Griddle is the red velvet pancake. You are given a single pancake made of red velvet (as in for cupcakes, yes), the size of a dinner plate and just over an inch deep. They then top that with CREAM CHEESE frosting and powdered sugar.

I give it a B+, because I was sincerely overwhelmed. It's a LOT to handle for a serious breakfast. But it's a must-do. :)

www.thegriddlecafe.com

Paper or Plastik

I can't believe I missed blogging about Paper or Plastik!

:) WHAT A GREAT PLACE! In my vision of searching for that great cafe, PoP fits the bill to a tee. Fun crowd. Great coffee. Sexy baristas (I swear...it's run by three 20-or-30-something male models). Industrial space. Great windows. Middle-of-the-room iron staircase. Wifi. And it's attached to AND overlooks a dance studio. It's like the coffee gods took a snapshot of all my hopes and desires, and manifested them as a coffee institution. And, to make it even cooler, there's no real sign out front saying that you've found PoP. It just says..."CAFE." How hip.

Great for dates, studying, impressing people with your knowledge of cool places!!!

www.paperorplastikcafe.com

Planet Earth Eco Cafe

This one is special to my heart, as it was the recommendation of one of my campers from UCLA Unicamp, Razy! For our reunion in Hermosa Beach, we grabbed some coffee at Planet Earth Eco Cafe!

If you're looking to read a book, impress a date, or play hippie for a day, this cute coffee spot is the perfect place to be! The floor-to-ceiling windows gives it a bright and cheerful atmosphere, and the clientele is a fun mix of locals, families, and studiers. And...it's just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the beach!

www.planetearthecocafe.com

Mas Malo

* This is Steph's first post in several weeks. As a result, you'll get a lot of scrumptious pictures and summative remarks, as the memory of specific dishes have long since walked the desolate halls of my mind. :)

FUN. CHIC. DOWNTOWN. LOUD.

We went to MAS MALO as a part of a great friend's 22nd birthday (BUTTERCUP!). What I was told was that it was a Mexican restaurant downtown. What I wasn't told was that it was a super hip, clubby BCBG-ype cocina. The food is AMAZING. Apparently it's the second phase of the mothership restaurant, MALO.

What it's known for: hipster Mexican food. Get the chips especial...which are soggy chips. So warm. So good. MM is great if you're vying for a clubby atmosphere with friends before a night of dancing and drinks. And it's downtown! How can you beat that?!

:D

www.masmalorestaurant.com

Housewarming Party!

Portuguese coffee is tiny like Cuban coffee. It's adorable!

Why are we posing with orange juice at a dinner get-together? Cuz we're awesome...

Some Portuguese delicacies: dates wrapped in bacon...

...and bread with ham, turkey, and chorizo.

-- Michelle

Max Caffe -- Upper West Side

One of the perks of summer in New York City is that the weather warms up super fast and lasts all day long. From the moment I step outside of my air-conditioned lobby, the humidity, car exhaust, and grime of America's most frequented city sticks to me in the same way that a dog attaches itself to a fire hydrant without fail.

On a Friday night, I invited a friend to not study. Instead, we decided to make the most of our mind-bogglingly academic "summer vacation". So, we parked ourselves at a table outside and people-watched until the sun went down.

May I just say there are some really cute guys at this cafe???? Like the one sitting next to us all by himself....

I digress. This is a food blog, so I should talk about food, yes? Eh....maybe next time. This time, the things that mattered were good friends and conversation, enjoying the city, and boy-scouting, apparently!

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