Zona Rosa in Pasadena

Another day of exploring L.A.’s coffee culture, except this time, we ventured a little further to Pasadena. With Serial Foodies regular Bianca, I visited Zona Rosa, a tiny café in Pasadena's Playhouse District. There is a paucity of tables, but at the same time, it doesn’t seem that there is ever an unbearable crowd. I recommend grabbing a seat on the sidewalk tables, because you can see the locals walk by and the theater crew pushing speakers back and forth across the street.

The coffee was great, a medium strength house bean that was perfect for a mid-morning meetup. A very strong A!

(I got the double caffe latte!)

Great company in Bianca! A local and a very great friend!

- Steph

The Eat Real Festival in Culver City

Last weekend (during the supposed "Carmaggedon"...not), I had the opportunity to check out the Eat Real Festival in Culver City, a food truck event at Helms Bakery celebrating sustainability and environmentally-friendly fooding! I grabbed a quick bite from The Hungry Nomad, a truck that comes to UCLA very often.

I tried out the Za'Atar Feta wrap, a super nomnom veggie dish that combines sesame seeds, mint, tomato, French feta cheese, and thyme within a thick and doughy wrap. I forgot to take a picture, but here's a snapshot from their website!

It wasn't a flavor explosion in my mouth, but it was definitely a light and tasty midday meal. If I was famished, it wouldn't have done the job. But I very much enjoyed it! B+

www.hungrynomadtruck.com

Steph

:) A Korean Delight

So this is more about a dish rather than a particular place. But, if you live near a Koreatown or anywhere in Orange County, finding a place that serves that dish is a piece of cake!

So in Korean, it is phonetically pronounced pat-bing-soo. It's a cold dessert with shaved ice, a scoop of ice cream, and every topping imaginable! The classic kind that your friendly neighborhood Korean person might get has red beans in it, but also popular are fruit-based and cereal-based pat-bing-soos! Basically, anything you can put on froyo you can put in this!

Steph!

Chef Michelle's Restaurant

After a crazy day at work and school, I thought it would be a good idea to cook. Somehow, I believed it would help me de-stress.

This usually never happens. I mean, wouldn't it make more sense to just order take out after a long, hard day? My mind doesn't work that way, I suppose. If I've had a difficult day, I like concentrating on something else. So, I put all my energy into cooking a real meal!

I impulsively bought some uncooked shrimp and beef at my local grocery store. After peeling the shrimp and putting them in boiling water to cook, I added olive oil, garlic salt, regular salt, and pepper to give the dead shrimp some zest. That was doable.

Funny enough, the beef was tougher. Rarely have I ever cooked beef in a way I dislike. I eat beef often enough to know how to cook it well for myself. This time, however, I unnecessarily boiled the beef cubes before I cooked them. After draining the water and dousing the meat with the same stuff I used on the shrimp, I realized just how overcooked it might taste.

I still managed, but I'll know better next time! Somehow, I got some tasty au jus out of the whole situation.

-- Michelle

Hungarian Pastry Shop

Check out the cream puff and Russian Coffee at the Hungarian Pastry Shop! The cream puff tasted good, but the coffee makes this place special. There are so many coffees and desserts to choose from, I'm going to sample them one at a time. I would recommend the Russian Coffee to chocolate-lovers.

Good luck finding a spot inside. Chances are, someone has already beaten you to that table and is permanently parked there. That's okay; I prefer studying and eating breakfast outside where I can people-watch and listen to the church bells toll every hour.

-- Michelle

Artopolis

Good friends + good food = happy stomach

That's water, if anyone was wondering. :)

Fruit smoothie!

Sunday brunch and study session

When I don't know what to get, I order a butter and sugar crepe. It has never disappointed me before, and neither does Artopolis.

Waffle station

...Sandwiches, salads, savory crepes, sweet crepes, gelato, cakes, and more! Artopolis has variety. This cafe is one of my favorites! It has a warm vibe all year round.

http://artopolisespresso.com/

Halal Food

There are food carts all over New York City. Some sell hotdogs, croissant sandwiches, orange juice, coffee, or ice cream. Others sell something I had never heard of before: Halal food. Before I tried it, I didn't know why people would wait in line for chicken and rice, or gyros from a one-man cart stand.

The guy at the stand cooks the food in front of you. The portions are huge. The price is right. $5 for a full lunch box? I wouldn't have it any other way.

Not only does the food smell amazing and attract hungry people, the cuisine has a religious component as well. I googled the word, "halal" online. According to About.com, halal means "permissable" or "lawful". In terms of food and drink, halal includes anything that follows Islamic dietary guidelines.

I definitely recommend that tourists, especially, try food from a halal cart. It's a new experience that shouldn't be overlooked.

FYI: Ask for the white sauce if you prefer non-spicy food. I tried a plate with white sauce, and it was tasty. I also asked for "everything" during my second halal cart experience and got a flaming red sauce mixed in with the white sauce. If you're brave enough to try the red sauce, make sure you have water with you!

--Michelle