Lo/Cal Coffee and Market Featuring Honey Butter Biscuits!!

Lo/Cal Coffee and Market / Honey Butter Biscuits

2214 Pico Blvd.

Santa Monica, CA 90405

www.local-coffee.com
www.honeybutterbiscuits.com

One thing I love about LA is how easy it is find motivated people who are not merely driven in pursuit of their passions, but also holding proudly and compassionately to a sense of community.  I witnessed it first hand during my meeting with Jonel De Los Reyes, General Manager of Lo/Cal Coffee and Market in Santa Monica.  His business philosophy is something he shares earnestly, and there’s a simple message at the heart of it… there’s a new wave of entrepreneurship… one that is no longer singularly money driven, but that is first socially responsible — a concept that is reflected in almost every aspect of Lo/Cal’s operations. They source all of their products locally, and decisions are made collectively among the entire staff.

Me with the General Manager, Jonel De Los Reyes

And that’s just behind the scenes…

ON to the coffee…..          

I sampled the macchiato, cortado, cappuccino, honey latte, and last but not least, their cold brew Nitro coffee.  The cold brew is prepared by steeping locally roasted coffee in room temperature purified water for 12 hours, after which it is injected with nitrogen, resulting in an outstanding “smoother and creamier” texture. This was described by the staff as being comparable to drinking a Guinness, and it turned out to be very true! It was so rich and bold. The silky mouth feel and long lingering taste let you know that what you’re sipping is of exceptional quality. This and the honey latte were my two favorite drinks.

But let’s talk about the reason I was here to begin with. I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to try, quite literally, the BEST biscuits ever!  Nick Westbrook, owner of Honey Butter Biscuits, graciously invited me to an exclusive tasting of his authentic Southern biscuits, which are featured at Lo/Cal. We started off with one of his Georgian specialties… a crispy chicken biscuit sandwich.  Mmm Mmm Mmm… The hand battered chicken breast was seasoned and cooked to juicy perfection. The biscuits were tender, buttery, flaky, and ever so moist, yet had just enough structural integrity to hold the makings of a sandwich inside. You can taste the perfect balance of salt and butter with a subtle sweetness in each bite. The bottom had a golden brown crust which gave it a nice contrast to the soft and delicate inside. This heavenly sandwich is an off-off-menu item that Nick plans to make available to the public by partnering with other LA eateries in the future, so start asking for it now!

Next, I tried a biscuit with his very own homemade honey butter, the most popular way to order a biscuit at Lo/Cal. Wow!!! There is seriously nothing better in this world than bread and butter, and this takes it to new levels of decadence. Sweet, salty, cinnamony, pure amazingness.

We went a little in depth about why Nick’s biscuits taste so good, the secret method of which I can’t reveal, but I will mention one thing….PRACTICE! This recipe — which is inspired by early memories of the biscuits his grandfather made in Georgia — was literally years in the making!!! The urge to make biscuits originated as a way to have a piece of home away from home, but the desire to perfect the recipe came with an even stronger desire to share this unique taste of comfort with the world — as Nick likes to say, a great biscuit brings you home. So for many years he worked on his craft until he felt for sure that it was ready. By now, everything is down to a science, from the super light flour he imports from Kentucky, to the careful way he prepares the batter. Nick even refers to himself as a mad scientist!

Nick Westbrook, owner of Honey Butter Biscuits

I had such a fantastic time hearing his story and would like to wish him nothing but success!  If you want a taste of Honey Butter Biscuits, and TRUST ME, you do…you can find them right here at Lo/Cal Coffee and Market or Cafe 50’s in Santa Monica. You can also order dozen or more for personal pick up at honeybutterbiscuits.com. 
Be sure to follow Honey Butter Biscuits and Lo/Cal’s journey on instagram @HoneyButterBiscuits and @lo.cal. Go try these delicious biscuits and extraordinary coffee concoctions together at Lo/Cal Coffee TODAY and let me know what you think!

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Shanghai Grill, Beverly Hills

Shanghai Grill

9383 Wilshire Blvd.

Beverly Hills, Ca 90210

This next place is a Chinese restaurant in Beverly Hills. Its a little upscale, in that its right in the heart of Beverly Hills, and this is somewhat reflected in their prices.  But its too bad their decor is a little outdated.  Nevertheless, it must be good enough for celebs because I guess a lot of them dine here based on the pictures on the wall.  The food itself isn’t so pretentious either.  Its not 2 little pieces of meat on a plate, its real Chinese food in decent portions. Their lunch special is great because it comes with rice, soup and a little salad.  So far, everything I’ve had here tastes good and fresh, but my absolute favorite is their honey walnut shrimp….soooo good!  So whats the verdict? Would I recommend this place? I’d say if you’re looking for a nice Chinese restaurant but don’t want to go to a hole in the wall, don’t go to the default P. F. Chang’s. Try something new and go to Shanghai Grill, trust me the food here is way better!

Garlic Chicken

Egg drop soup

Honey Walnut Shrimp

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Neptune’s Net, Malibu

Neptunes Net

42505 Pacific Coast Hwy

Malibu, CA 90265

(310) 457-3095

www.neptunesnet.com

Surprisingly enough, this was actually my first and only visit to Neptune’s Net.  Its a bit of a drive, depending on where you’re coming from, but totally worth it.  The food is a bit pricey and mostly fried, but its one of the cutest little tucked away places in Malibu. I ordered the seafood platter.  Everything tasted really fresh, although I do wish I could have shared this with at least 3 other people.  It most certainly is big enough. I think its a great stop to eat at either before or after the beach. Another perfect place for a Sunday Funday!!

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Crab Catcher Restaurant, San Diego

Crab Catcher Restaurant

1298 Prospect St.

La Jolla, CA 92037

(858) 454-9587

http://www.crabcatcher.com/crab-catcher-market-cafe

For a beautiful and classy restaurant with an ocean view, you must visit Crab Catcher Restaurant. However, let me warn you, there are some downsides.  The food was okay…nothing special about it. I ordered the Eggs Benedict which comes on top of 2 crab cakes.  I thought this would give me the most bang for my buck, and it did. But was it spectacular?? No.  Everything was rather pricey as well, but it just didn’t match the quality. Not worth eating there. On the other hand, the atmosphere was very bougie and felt like I was dining in a beautiful east coast spacious country home which was a nice change. Luckily our table was right in front of the window so we had a perfect view of the ocean, without a reservation either. I HIGHLY recommend you make a reservation in advance and request to sit near the window or on the patio overlooking the ocean.  Although I mentioned some pitfalls, I would still recommend this place, but only for drinks and appetizers because the view alone made it all worth it.  Oh and guess what, they have happy hour from 3pm-9pm!

Crab Enchiladas

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Searsucker, San Diego

Searsucker

611 5th Ave.

San Diego, CA 92101

(619) 233-7327

http://www.searsucker.com/

I was looking for a great restaurant to go to, and a local San Diegoan told me that Searsucker is the place to go.  So happy I listened.  First of all, the place is very energetic and quite a hot spot.  As big as it was, it was still packed with people.  The decor was exactly my taste, very industrial.  This restaurant actually belongs to one of the contestants on Top Chef, which now explains why their menu items were so unique.

Now, for the food.  First off, they bring out their special cheddar puffers, for free, so no need to order it separately.  They were different, but in a good way.  Next, I kid you not but we ordered the “Cowboy Caviar”…which was Buffalo testicles.  What did it taste like?  Well, texture wise, if I had to relate it to something else I’ve eaten, I’d say it was a lot like eating liver, only a little softer.  Luckily they had battered and deep fried it like a chicken nugget which made it way more palettable.  Now, I don’t know if this was done on purpose or not, but they had this special fried lettuce on the side that when eaten, gave the illusion of eating curly hair. I don’t know what kind of lettuce, just the kind that feels like you’re eating hair when you fry it.  Nah, it had to have been on purpose because there are a million other things they could have put on the side, but they chose to put fried lettuce. Who fries lettuce anyway? Truthfully, I was a little grossed out towards the end of eating it, but it was worth trying at least once. Especially if you’re sharing it with others. One piece will do the trick.

The next thing we ordered was the bacon grits.  Deee-lish.  Totally worth it and so flavorful.  I would have had 2 entrees to report on but my sig fig and I got into a fight so we had to call the night short. Boo hoo!  No worries, we worked through it, lol, but not in time to have our dinner entrees of Shark and the ribeye “tomahawk.” Oh well, I guess this just means we’re going to have to go back!

If you’re looking for a place to go in San Diego, I wouldn’t waste your time looking anywhere else. This place has it all, fits any occasion, is right in the heart of the Gas Lamp district. It’s within walking distance of other bars.  Has awesome food and drinks.  Why go anywhere else?!

Bacon Grits

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San Pedro Fish Market and Restaurant, San Pedro

San Pedro Fish Market and Restaurant

1190 Nagoya Way

San Pedro, CA 90731

(310) 832-4251

www.sanpedrofish.com

Ok People…If you never been to the San Pedro Fish Market and Restaurant, this is something you definitely want to put on your to do list.  It is such a sight to see.  Yes, it is a bit of a drive, but once you get there, you’ll find it was well worth it.  When you walk in, its an immediate SENSORY OVERLOAD.  There are tons of people milling around.  Lines can be rather long so be prepared.  What you do is first, you stand in line to pick out your seafood.  Then you stand in another line to have your selection cooked for you.  As far as I know, The most common selection as you’ll see is the shrimp. We ordered 1 pound for two people and it was more than enough.  I think it could have easily fed 4. The most common way to have your shrimp cooked is in their meadly of vegetables and tomato sauce.  You’ll see tons of tables with trays of this stuff.  In addition to shrimp, I wanted to try something I’ve never had before, so I opted for shark meat.  I’ll be honest, not a huge fan of it.  It was kind of like eating a very dense white fish.  I probably would have liked it more if it was prepared in a nice stew or sauce, but since this one was grilled, it was just ok.  It did not have a lot of flavor.  Neither did the butter bread, I wouldn’t get that either. I WOULD however, follow the lead of the many other families who were picnicking and brought their own side dishes like rice, beans, and salad.

But the most amazing part of the whole experience is the veiw of the water and sailboats as you eat your meal.  The view, a good meal, and a cup of Michelado makes for an amazing sunday funday.  After lunch, there’s even a free trolly you can ride that will take you around the city and stops at local museums 

My boo picking out some lobster and crab

Tray of shrimp cooked in their special sauce

Shark meat and butter bread

Michelado

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Fig & Olive, West Hollywood

Fig & Olive

8490 Melrose Place

West Hollywood, CA 90069

(310) 360-9100

www.figandolive.com

Once again, I found myself surrounded by some of the best looking people.  It was like I stepped into a whole new world where handsome men in suits and tiny little barbie dolls co-mingle in one centralized spot. I mean, we literally met a Christian Grey look-a-like.  I loved the people watching aspect of Fig & Olive and the ambiance of the restaurant as a whole.  I haven’t been back since but I’m so dying to go for date night.  The food was delicious and I loved the presentation.  One thing I didn’t quite like was that almost all the dishes I tried were a bit salty (and I’m a big salt eater).  So I would perhaps be mindful of that when ordering. Otherwise, this is THE perfect place to go for on your next date!

Scallops

Penne Funghi Tartufo

Beef Carpaccio

Filet Mignon

Truffle Fries

Chocolate Soufflé

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Cafe Roma, Beverly Hills

Cafe Roma

350 North Canon Drive

Beverly Hills, CA 90210

http://www.cafferomabeverlyhills.com/

I love coming to Cafe Roma. Its the perfect local spot to people watch and catch some happy hour drinks and small bites.  I actually love their happy hour because they’ve got a great happy hour food selection.  Included on their happy hour menu is a few carpaccio selections like beef and salmon, which is good if you’re looking for low-carb options. I went there a few times after work just to grab a drink and a quick bite, and once after dinner because they are open late.  If you’ve never been I’d say its definitely worth checking out.

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