Eye on Food: Cafe Colombia

222 S Glenoaks Blvd, Burbank, 818-558-3985

The first ache of the flu came the day I went to this little unassuming wonder and oh, how thankful I am that our friends suggested it.Welcoming as your abuela's home with a side of rebel (look up on the wall for the Shepard Fairey Immigration Now poster), Cafe Colombia is an adorable joint where the food is just as warm as the decor. We shared a plate of Arepas to start. Similar to a pupusa, these little round corn cakes stuffed with cheese were delicious. Each kind , the sweet corn Suprema, white corn Mozzarepa, and the Queso, were their own blend of savory that made me want to order another plate and call it a day. Sabroso! But instead, our friends (and Anthony Bourdain in his review of Colombia) recommended trying the Ajiaco Santafereño and I am still longing for another bowl ten days later. This stew, a delicious blend of tender chicken, corn on the cob, three kinds of potatoes and the herb guasca served with a side of capers, rice, avocado and sweet cream, was one of the best comfort soups I have ever tasted. The other dishes on the menu, from the grilled chicken to the sweet Buñuelos, also looked and smelled amazing. And Cafe Colombia is known for it's exotic fruit smoothies (maracuyá, anyone?) which sounds like a perfect choice for summer. I am sure to be back. If you haven't explored the flavors of Colombia, get going. You'll be so happy you did!

Eye on Food: Nickel Diner

524 S. Main Street, 213-623-8301

I know have a been a bit absent this week, but oh what a week it has been! All is well now and I can sit here and think back to my two (!) trips to Nickel Diner in the past 7 days. Yum! This little joint is located downtown nestled among small businesses and closed buildings like a shiny little beacon telling you to come eat--comfort food with a twist, that is. The savory catfish with corn cakes is topped with pecans and saddled between bacon hashed brussel sprouts (I ate around the bacon). The smac and cheese is concoction of cheddar, fontina, mozzarella and a kick o' pepperjack topped with crunchy breadcrumbs and herbs. And pastry chef Sharlena Fong's faint-cause-it's-that-good red velvet cake has little chocolate crunchies in frosting layers between cake. Good golly, it was all delicious! If this doesn't make you venture to Downtown, then. . . you're crazy.

Next time, I'm going to try the rooty tooty vegetable cassoulet, but for a bit I have to give the heart a break.

Eye on Food: Lemonade

One of the best parts of living in California is the availability of fresh produce year-round and the plethora of places that serve it up. Lemonade, a local Los Angeles eatery (4 restaurants), takes this West Coast philosophy to a new and simple level--offer a multitude of interesting salads, sandwiches, main dishes and sweets and pair them with fresh-squeezed lemonade in unusual flavors in a friendly and green setting. On this particular visit, I chose one of my favorite foods--spaghetti squash--mixed with farro and a pomegranate vinaigrette and the chicken, butternut squash, grape and oregano vinaigrette salad followed by a blueberry mint lemonade. Everything was delicious. And each was a concoction that I would never think of. The spaghetti squash was a little crunchy and perfectly cooked, while the chicken salad had an earthy bite with a dash of sweet. While I wished I had room for the lemon meringue pie, I will come back again. This time perhaps for the nectarine, rice, grafton cheddar, and mint vinaigrette or maybe the parsnip, carrot, palm springs date, and ginger salads.

If you're in need of catering for your Halloween or Thanksgiving feasts, Lemonade does that too.

Lemonade Downtown
213.488.0299
515 South Flower Street, Los Angeles

Lemonade Beverly
310.247.2500
9001 Beverly Boulevard, West Hollywood

Lemonade Venice
310.452.6200
1661 Abbot Kinney, Venice

Lemonade MOCA
213.628.0200
250 South Grand, Los Angeles

Eye on Food: Amoon Ra

980 N. La Cienega Blvd., 310-854-7777

Just where La Cienega meets Santa Monica is the sort of place that makes you forget your case of Mondays and reminds you of one happy, "very good height indeed", hookah-smoking caterpillar. A little bit hookah bar, a lot of good food and a dash of Middle Eastern pop makes Amoon Ra different from other West Hollywood spots. On this particular Monday night, we sat outside and were promptly welcomed by Vahe ("V") who, like the other happy staffers, seemed to love his job. Though the menu contained everything from fettuccine alfredo to musaka (they take Mediterranean literally), we split the tawook--two chicken kebabs with rice and grilled vegetables--and the dream mousse, a delicious cross between mudpie and tiramisu. Bellies full, we finished with a double apple hookah and watched the view from the hill. Bonus? Their happy hour is from 4-8pm (includes discount on hookahs) and by the time you're done, you'll be shaking your hips like V and the belly dancers who make an appearance on Fridays and Saturdays.

Eye on Food: Hara Sushi

12222 Wilshire Blvd., 310-820-1021

Wouldn't it be great if happy hours lasted 5 1/2 hours? (Ok, minus the old jalapeno poppers). Well, at Santa Monica's Hara Sushi they decided to make a quarter of the day (that's 4-9:30pm) dedicated to 1/2 off sushi and cheap drinks! With 32 special rolls, tons of maki choices and raspberry beer, it's a pretty solid stop for dinner. Even better, if you haven't gotten your soybean fill, they serve up edamame  like nobody's business in a huge mound fit for 12. I'm serious. We couldn't finish it. To add to their generosity, Hara also serves a free cup of miso and ice cream to every diner. For production girls night out, 

we ordered the Ginza Roll (spicy tuna and avocado wrapped with albacore and jalapeno) and the Crunchy Roll (crabmeat, avocado, cucumber, shrimp tempura, wrapped with tempura flakes and unagi sauce). Both were delicious. All around us people ordered the Baked Lobster Roll which, had I been eating alone, I might have reached over and helped myself. It looked great. While the atmosphere is lacking (thanks to Mariko for warning us about the happy hour signs everywhere), this place is every bit the yummy hole-in-the-wall it should be and perfect for a Monday night. Hey, it isn't Nobu, but it serves up good toro with $2 sake. No complaints here. 

Eye on Food: La Paella

476 San Vicente Blvd., 323-951-0745

Scattered about Los Angeles, there are a few good tapas restaurants-- some that manage to capture the Andalucian tradition of serving small plates without the fuss and others that seem content to remind you that you're still in L.A. and yes, the menu does say $20 for 1 oz. of Mahon. But nestled on San Vicente Blvd. near the Beverly Center is a restaurant that serves tapas and traditional Spanish fare con gusto and charm as though you've walked into the home of family. Foremost, La Paella prides itself on its delicious, made-for-two paellas as owner Pasqual Franqueza hails from Valencia, the birthplace of this famous dish.  For a lighter meal, the tapas, from the Manchego con Membrillo to the Vieiras al Ajillo, are a delicious bit of Spain and perfectly paired with sangria or a cold glass of Alhambra. With Govi in the background (granted he's German) and candles on every table, La Paella is lovely escape from the pretentious pricey tapa joints. If you manage to befriend Pasqual, ask for his advice on a wine pairing for dessert. I'd go with the Crema Catalan.