National Donut Day

It’s National Donut Day!! Who doesn’t love a good donut every now and then. Of course I grew up eating Winchells as a kid but since those days, especially in the social media age, donut shops are popping up with Instagrammable creations that are fancy and delicious. Poqets in Irvine is one of those social media worthy Donut shops. 

Poqets calls themselves the DIY Donut shop because you can create a Donut that speaks entirely just to you. They also offer the traditional favorites and also you can get mini versions so you don’t feel that guilty.

Their speciality is the Maple Bacon Donut which is absolutely everything!! It’s gives you the perfect salty sweet combo that fulfills your needs. The Apple Pie Donut tastes so much like an actual pie that you’ll forget your eating a donut. The Lemon Meringue is the perfect hint of sweetness that you need to make it through your day. These are just some of my personal faves from here but there are many other yummy flavors to choose from. 

When your in the Irvine area stop by. Poqet has specific hours so check before you stop by. 
Poqets is located at 17655 Harvard Ave #Ste B Irvine 92614
*all opinions are my own* 

Trade Foodhall

There’s a new foodhall in Irvine that’s offering up some delicious grub. I was fortunate to attend a tasting of most of the locations and I didn’t taste anything that I didn’t like. Located on Michaelson right off Jamboree, Trade is a great place to enjoy lunch with co workers or dinner with friends. 

Okay enough chatting, let’s get to the food! 

Two Birds

Downtown LA has Howling Rays, Irvine has Two Birds. This place delivers their version of the new trend of Fried Chicken sandwich  to great reviews. I was able to try this special sandwich, the Two Birds in One Hand,and boy was it messy but in a good way. I was sharing this with other people and we still didn’t put a dent in it. We also tried the Cottage fries and had the perfect pairing. 

Gyro Kings  

If your into gyros this is the place. Gyro Kings is the only original location of the previous foodcourt that was here before it was renovated to become Trade. I’m happy it stayed because it is a gem. These Gyros Fries were everything I didn’t know I needed.

Butterleaf

This delicious eatry is right up my alley and their motto is Vegetarian food for Non Vegetarians. I got to try the yummy Scratch Made Black Bean Burger and it was delicious!

Portside 

I saw soo many yummy things coming from this location and I wanted to try all of them! I did get to try out the Fish and Chips platter which was amazing and also the California Shrimp Burrito.


Pig Pen Delicacy

When I’m really in a cheat mood, this has been my new place to go. Even though I’ve been here before (but at another location), I still enjoyed some of the food items and even tried some I never had yet. We got to try the Infamous Mac Attack Burger (which is great after a fun night out with friends) and standard Tater Tots..

Megadon 

If your into Poke bowls, this is the place for you. This was my fried time having a Poke Bowl and it was enjoyable. I enjoyed the Shrimp Poke Bowl the most. 

Sweet Combfort

The new take on waffles and I’m here for it. Get a Belgium Liege waffle on a stick and made your own creation using the various toppings available. My favorite is the fruity pebbles with cheese cake bites. Nice and Sweet!!

CenterHub

And don’t forget to grab a cocktail while there. The Trade Market has a mini bar called Center Hub that serves up great drinks. You can get whatever fits your fancy like this special Flaming Hor Cheeto Bloody Mary 

Or this delicious Blood Orange Mojito. I’m not normally a Mojito fan but this one just might make me a fan. 

I will defientely end up a Trade regular especially since it’s 10 minutes from my job. There’s so much more food I want to try form each location. So if your looking for somewhere new to dine this weekend, Trade Foodhall should be your destination! 

Trade Food Hall is located at 2222 Michelson Dr. Irvine, CA. 92612

*all opinions are my own* 

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Since I had time before work, I decided to try out the new breakfast/lunch bar in Tustin called Snooze Am Eatery.

 Snooze is located on the Tustin side of The Marketplace. This place is so cute and I will be coming back. 

I’ve been craving pancakes but since my stomach is still acting up, no gluten based foods can be consumed yet. I asked my waitress if I can get gluten free versions of the pancakes and she said yes! I happily ordered some gluten free Sweet Potato Pancakes and they were so good. 

I couldn’t finish them solo so I would definitely recommend sharing a plate with someone. There’s so much more fun food items on the menu that I want to try and next time I’m ordering a breakfast cocktail with my meal! 

*all opinions are my own* 

Jarrow Formula Probotics

Having IBS as a foodie is so fun 😩(sarcasm) so when I have a flare up, I’m usually strict no meat, dairy, gluten, soy, casen, wheat, etc etc etc free until my tummy calms down. In the meantime, I also turn to probiotics like Kombucha and  Jarro- Dophilus EPS capsules by Jarrow Formula that I purchase from Sprouts. These probiotics work best for me and stabilizes my Intestinal tract. 

Comfort LA

Soooo I’m going to be honest with you and upfront. This restaurant is not in the most desirable location in Downtown L.A. Pretty much it’s smack dead in Skid Row BUT don’t let that deter you from going. They serve organic Soul Food and their highlight are their wings. 

Comfort LA is a cozy little alcove where you can enjoy good food, good music, and BYOB. Yes I said BYOB. They offer a Late Lazy Brunch that starts at 3pm and also holds special events. When you walk inside your greeted by a wall full of Soul, R&B and Pop greats and also Simpson characters with an African-American twist.

 There’s a deck of cards or dominos sitting out on the tables so you can play games while you wait for your food.

 Or if you want to enjoy some outside weather, there is a patio outside where you can enjoy yourself or your company. 

One your inside Comfort LA, you won’t even remember exactly what location your in. You instantly just relax and vibe out with your filled to the brim plate and beverage. 

If your ever in the Downtown LA area, I do recommend grabbing some friends and hanging out. Definitely a nice low key spot to enjoy the summer.
Comfort LA is located at 1110 E. 7th St. Los Angeles, CA. 90022 

• All opinions are my own*

Glowing Juices

Nestled in heart of the Echo Park area is a cute little shop called Glowing Juices. This is the perfect place to go after a nice run or walk at Echo Park Lake. 

Not only can you enjoy an healthy meal from this place, you can also pick up some healthy snacks or a delicious smoothie to get you through the day.

 
 

After perusing the menu for a few minutes, I decided to order the Anti-Oxidant Blend with an organic wellness Coconut Kefir shot. I needed the probiotics since my stomach has been acting up lately.

 

 As I waited for my order, I admired the art throughout the store and  browsed through the snack section. I saw way to many snacks that are to my liking and had to force myself not to spend more money. This vibe here is perfect if you need a place to relax and collect your thoughts.

 

 

 So if your ever in the Echo Park section of Los Angeles, make sure you stop by Glowing Juices, grab a snack, sit outside and enjoy.

 

 

Glowing Juices is located at 1557 Echo Park Ave, Los Angles, CA. 90026

 

 

*All opinions are my own*

 

 

 

 

 

Restauration

This weekend, I co-hosted a bridal shower at Restauration in Downtown Long Beach along Retro Row. Restauration is the perfect setting for a cute and intimate celebration. 

We started off with two rounds of appetizers: a veggie platter and a cheese and meat platter. 

Then for our main course we had multiple rounds of Eggplant Pizza and the Boar Sausage Pizza. Both were delicious but the Eggplant was my fave. I ate so much of it without any guilty feelings. 

Most of us enjoyed the cocktails that they have but the Sparkling Rose was the favorite of the day. 

And the staff there was very helpful with all of our needs and even helped me set up the decorations. If your looking for a venue for a cute, small intimate feel and vegan friendly, Restauration is your place.
Restauration is located at 2708 E. 4th St. Long Beach, CA. 90814 
*all opinions are my own* 

Wild Chive Vegan Brunch

Looking for a chill place to enjoy a nice brunch this weekend? The Wild Chive Vegan Brunch at Portfolios Coffeehouse in Downtown Long Beach delivers a delicious brunch that will make you even forget your eating vegan style. Their menu is small but the portions are large. Get there early because space is limited and the wait can take a while. 

Portfolios is one of my favorite coffeehouses in the area thanks to its laid back nature and adding a Vegan brunch here was such a good idea. For the none vegan style eaters, you don’t have to partake in the Vegan Brunch. The front of house has their own menu with their usual flare which is also good.
 Since this was my first time trying out the Vegan Brunch, I decided to try out the Stuffed French Toast. The day I was there, they did have a special Brunch item not listed on the menu which was a Grilled Cheese (which I should’ve got) but I decided to stick with the French Toast. Their version of French Toast is Potato Texas Toast with a homemade hazel chocolate spread, bananas, strawberries, coconut whip cream and almonds. So So SO SO SO GOOD! Did I say it was good? I mean delicious!! Paired it with a nice Almond milk cappuccino and I was content.

 

I will definitely be coming back for The Wild Chive Vegan Brunch. I want to either try the Grilled Burrizo or the Southern Smother Biscuit.. Or both!

 

*All opinions are my own*

 

Portfolios Coffeehouse is located on 2300 E. 4th St. Long Beach, CA. 90814 along Retro Row. The Wild Chive Vegan Brunch is every Sunday from 11am-2pm.

Broken Spanish

Recently I joined some friends in Downtown LA to celebrate one of my good friends birthdays. We met at a restaurant called Broken Spanish.  When I found out where we was dining, I scanned their IG and Yelp reviews to get a better feel for the place. Clearly this place is the new go to spot for foodies so you know that alone sparked my interest.

 This definitely isn’t your average Mexican restaurant where your going to have chips and salsa for a pre-dinner snack. This is very upscale and very authentic restaurant. If your someone into seafood, this is definitely the place for you. When I saw that the Carne Asada plate was $42, that alone made me realize that we were truly dining out that evening. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for paying high prices for good quality food (when I have the funds to do so lol) and that night I definitely wasn’t going to be able to spend that much money on food.

Since the Carne Asada plate was the only item on the menu that caught my interest, I decided to just browse the dessert menu and have dessert for dinner. After doing more IG and Yelp research I chose the dessert I was going to try. I wasn’t driving all the way from Irvine to Downtown LA to just sit especially at a restaurant I’ve never been too. I had to try something. So dessert it is. No dessert wasn’t super cheap but it also wasn’t $42.

So when I arrived, I felt that I was kinda underdressed. Coming from work I had on some jeans, slip in flats and tank with a sweater and walking into the restaurant, I felt like I needed to be dressed a little more upscale. Nonetheless I loved the interior of the restaurant. The dim lighting of the restaurant definitely gave you an intimate feel while being surrounded with various Latin artifacts throughout the space.  When I was arrived, I was relieved that my other friends weren’t as dressed up and relaxed.

By the time I arrived, they already ordered oysters and a salad as appetizers. I’ve never had oysters and I’m not sure if I can eat them. I am allergic to crab and lobster but able to eat clam and shrimp. I wasn’t in the mood to find out if I have an allergy or not but I will admit that the plate of oysters looked good. However, I did have some of the salad which was delicious. It was a simple green salad but tossed with a delicious Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette. They also tried the Carnita fat before I arrived and told it wasn’t exactly pleasant to the taste buds.

 They also ordered the Queso Fundifo which has Bacalao and Roasted Tomato in it. I didn’t try it because I’m not a fan of cod but it did look good.

After perusing the menu and large amounts of laughter, we decided to order. I stuck to my decision of dessert for dinner and ordered the Baked Oaxaca. Lets talk about this baby for a minute. It is a work of art!! I mean look it at. I just let it sit for a while because it was way to pretty for me to eat. 

The Baked Oaxaca is a Lemon Curd with Chocolate Sponge, Meringue Vanilla Gusano Powder and Mole Ice Cream. It has a little kick because of the Mole but the kick wasn’t that bad. I can’t eat spicy food but like I said it was tame.

The plates at Broken Spanish are large so you can definitely share. The birthday girl and her husband go the duck (I wasn’t fast enough to capture a picture before they digged in). The plate was large and looked tasty. My other friend ordered the Chile Rellano which was on my maybe list. The Rellano was filled with poblano, potato, kale, lemon and soubise). I sampled this and it was delicious. I knew I should’ve went with that.

 My other friend ordered a Veggie Tamale that was filled  with endive, poblano, quest Oaxaca and béchamel. It wasn’t bad neither.

 

And of course a celebratory dessert was requested for the birthday girl which was flan. I’m not a fan of flan and neither is she but her husband is a fan and gladly devoured it for her.

 

Would I recommend the Broken Spanish to people? Yes. It is definitely a nice experience and the food is good. Oh and did I mention how impressive their bar was? Broken Spanish is also a Mezcal bar.

 

So if your looking for someone nice to take someone for a special evening out, Broken Spanish is your place. As for parking they do have valet ($15 with validation) or you can find a lot and walk over (which is what I did. $8 two blocks away).

 

Broken Spanish is located at 1050 Flower St. L.A., 90015

 

 

*All opinions are my own*

Naturway Natural Foods

The older I get the more my body malfunctions. The 30s have been filled with many ups and down to my health. Earlier this year,I was sick for a month with a cold and I’m still producing mucus from that event. Recently, I started taking ginger shots twice a day from Jamba Juice. They had a special all of March where their Ginger And Green shots was only $1. I started doing this twice a day and noticed how these shots help lessened the mucus build up in my body. So to make this apart of my regular routine (and to save money), I decided to buy the ingredients and make my own.

 I went to Naturway Natural Food in Lakewood to buy some fresh pressed ginger. I’ve attempted to press ginger at home with a spoon and it was a headache. I’m happy I found some fresh pressed ginger from The Ginger People company at the store. Naturway Natural also has different vitamins and a frozen food section.

 As with any store that provides items that’s actually healthy for you, the store is a little on the pricey side but your health is worth the few extra bucks right? I was able to buy the fresh pressed Ginger and some delicious protein bars that was on sale! 

 So if your in the Lakewood area and looking for a health food store, Naturway Natural Foods is the place to go. During your checkout experience, you might just encounter a small feisty but wise woman who makes you feel like you’ve known her forever. Just talking to her alone is worth a visit to the store. 
Naturway Natural Foods is located at 4037 Hardwick St, Lakewood, CA. 90712. Naturway is located across the street from the Lakewood Mall between Vons and Chuck E. Cheese. 

* All opinions are my own*