Foodspiration: BacaroLA

My friend Karen (check out her food blog here) took me to this small restaurant near-ish her apartment in LA. It had some really crazy interesting ingredient combinations that somehow worked! I liked how the portions were small, but everything had really strong flavors, so it ended up being very satisfying. The place is sort of experimental, and there's definitely a lot to learn from from their entrees.

Buffalo Cheese - apparently made with buffalo milk? It's much creamier and slightly sweeter than cow milk cheeses, although the difference is very nuanced. 

Bacaro Burger - The bread is a piece of toast instead of regular burger bun bread, so maybe next time I make burgers I don't have to go out of my way to buy the bun especially... but I typically make bun-less burgers anyway, but still a cool flavor combination~

MY FAVORITE DISH OF THE NIGHT - lamb in eggplant. SO MUCH FLAVOR I can't even explain. They used a lot of citrus to probably balance out the lamb with this crunchy potato chip on the top. The eggplant on the outside contrasted with the super soft lamb on the inside. 

Bone marrow! Honestly I thought my family was weird for eating this, but now they just legitimized it...by serving it at a restaurant. Anyway, so they used some lemon-y flavors to make the bone marrow into like a paste to put on bread. I didn't know this could be a dish...

Dark on the inside for ambiance~

Thanks for taking me, Karen! I really enjoyed it. I think they were also able to price their dishes super fairly (3 for $21?!) because they're in a sketchy-ish part of town, but this place is definitely worth trying. I love restaurants that challenge what I thought was possible in cooking.

Foodspiration: Pample Mousse

I just passed my driving test in Redwood City, California yesterday, so I've been around the downtown area a lot. There is one cafe that my mom and I keep going to...and it's delicious! It's called PampleMousse and serves some really gourmet soups, sandwiches, coffees, and cakes.

 

Turkey Brie sandwich - with a touch of arugula and cranberry sauce for some healthy and delicious lunch fare. 

Fig and Almond Cheesecake - another unexpected and inspirational combination! My mom ordered the blackberry chocolate cake (one the side) but we both agreed that the cheesecake was better (even though she doesn't even like cheesecake!). It's lighter than most cheesecakes, so it makes it much easier to eat!

I also tried the salmon sandwich and potato leek soup, which were both very good, although I liked the turkey sandwich a little more (the dash of cranberry and generous slabs of brie cheese made it pop!). I love the mix of everyday ingredients in creative ways - makes me want to experiment! The price is also quite affordable - my mom and I usually share 1 sandwich and soup which adds up to around $15 for both of us. Cakes are around $6 a piece.